Federal offices will discontinue cheque-based disbursements under the Asaan Assignment Accounts system on November 15, moving all transactions to the state-backed instant payment system from November 16. The directive, confirmed during a cashless economy review chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requires all drawing and disbursing officers across ministries to run account operations exclusively through Raast. For tech vendors, government suppliers, and public sector accounting teams, the shift removes the traditional delays of physical clearing vouchers and manual processing.

The Operational Shift for Drawing and Disbursing Officers

Government departments run operational budgets and project funds through assignment accounts maintained at commercial banks and the central bank. Under the new directive, drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) will no longer sign physical cheques to release funds from these accounts after November 15. The federal administration confirmed that DDOs have already undergone formal training sessions to operate the digital payment infrastructure directly.

Processing payments through Raast allows public sector units to settle obligations immediately rather than waiting several days for clearing house cycles. This administrative overhaul follows broader technical integration work between the central bank and public finance units, similar to how the SBP extends Raast to provincial accountant generals to modernise government disbursements across regional tiers.

The December 2026 Target for Public Sector Cash Flows

The elimination of paper cheques in Asaan Assignment Accounts forms part of a wider schedule to end cash and manual processing throughout state operations. Government departments reported that digitisation efforts are progressing across both federal and provincial ministries, with the vast majority of institutions projected to finish their transitions by December 2026. This aligns with the broader policy where Pakistan sets December 2026 deadline to fully digitise national payments across its administrative apparatus.

Major public disbursement channels have already abandoned physical handoffs:

  • Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) transfers now disburse entirely through digital wallets rather than cash counters.
  • Drawing and disbursing officers have completed operational orientation to conduct state account transfers electronically.
  • Federal ministries and affiliated institutions must present explicit roadmaps with firm deadlines to convert remaining offline payment flows.
  • Provincial offices are expected to match federal digital account benchmarks ahead of the 2026 cut-off.

QR Code Utility Billing and the Offline Infrastructure Challenge

Beyond state budget accounts, the administration reviewed consumer-to-business payment adoption, focusing directly on Raast QR code payments between consumers and merchants. The prime minister ordered federal backing for merchant QR deployments to continue without interruption. State agencies have been tasked with launching public awareness campaigns directing electricity and gas utility consumers to pay their monthly invoices by scanning printed QR codes directly from their banking apps.

Scaling these digital payment options nationwide faces immediate technical constraints, particularly in connectivity. Official reports submitted at the meeting noted that engineers are designing a mechanism to permit digital transactions in regions without steady internet access, while telecom authorities work to expand network connectivity across underserved districts. You can read more about how QR codes on utility bills and beyond are intended to pull standard recurring household bills into digital payment rails.

Bottlenecks and Technical Constraints on the Ground

The quick turnaround from paper cheques to mandatory digital processing carries specific operational hurdles for public sector suppliers. Prime Minister Sharif directed participating institutions to address consumer and technical grievances immediately, warning that poor internet availability and user-facing software bugs could disrupt payments if left unmanaged.

Vendors and contractors who receive funds through Asaan Assignment Accounts must ensure their receiving commercial bank accounts are correctly linked to Raast directories to prevent rejected transfers. DDOs managing heavy year-end allocations also face the pressure of handling real-time batch approvals without reverting to the physical paper trails they relied on for decades. The finance ministry received formal commendation for establishing the initial gateway framework, but the true test begins when line departments execute their first automated payroll and procurement runs without chequebooks.

Practical Questions on the Raast Account Mandate

When will government offices stop accepting paper cheques?

Cheque-based payments under Asaan Assignment Accounts stop entirely at the close of business on November 15. All transactions scheduled for November 16 and onward must execute over the Raast payment rail.

Are drawing and disbursing officers ready for the change?

Federal authorities confirmed during Friday's review that DDOs across public departments have completed their operational training modules to issue electronic approvals without manual instruments.

What happens to public payments in areas lacking internet coverage?

Authorities confirmed that development is underway on a specialised payment framework designed to settle transactions in regions without active web connectivity, alongside concurrent efforts to upgrade local telecom infrastructure.

Source: TechJuice