Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD:The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has brought more than 5,000 shopkeepers and merchants in Islamabad under the Raast QR code system as part of an accelerated push to make the federal capital a cashless city.The update came during a meeting on Friday at CDA Headquarters, chaired by CDA Chairman and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa.Senior CDA officials, bank representatives, telecom companies, and district administration attended the review session.Officials briefed the meeting that QR code-based digital payments have already been introduced in the weekly bazaars of Sectors H-9 and G-6, and registration of traders is being expanded to all Markazs, shopping malls, rural markets, and Class III markets. CDA’s One Window Facilitation Center, metro buses, and electric feeder buses have also adopted cashless transactions.Randhawa stressed that widespread registration of shopkeepers is central to the success of the initiative.“CDA and the district administration are working as facilitators, but it is crucial that traders are onboard and customers are guided properly,” he said.He urged banks and telecom companies to provide incentives and field support to attract more traders into the system.The CDA has also eliminated Right of Way (ROW) charges for laying fiber optic networks to ensure faster digital connectivity.Officials added that a central dashboard is being used to track real-time data from banks on the registration and adoption process.Randhawa said the ultimate goal is to position Islamabad as “a fully cashless and digitized city” where transactions are transparent, fast, and secure.
