KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will conduct a financial literacy week from April 14 to April 18, 2025. The theme for this year is ‘Financial inclusion — with collaboration and innovation’, and it highlights the importance of collective efforts and technological advancements in expanding financial access and inclusion, the SBP said in a statement on Tuesday.

SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad will inaugurate the event and the deputy governors, executive directors, international dignitaries of the World Bank, Alliance for Financial Inclusion, Asian Development Bank, commercial banks’ presidents, among others will be present at the ceremony. High performance banks in the areas of financial inclusion and innovation will be given awards in recognition of their efforts.

Pakistan faces challenges in financial inclusion, primarily due to a low level of financial literacy, which stands at 26 per cent compared to the global average of 33 per cent, the central bank said.

Throughout the week, the SBP along with other financial institutions, will be conducting more than 260 financial literacy camps, 350 school and university outreach programmes and more than 400 interactive workshops and seminars/awareness sessions for women, youth and special persons. These activities will take place all over Pakistan, covering 101 districts. Another special initiative in this regard is ‘Financial Literacy Walk’ which will take place in major cities of Pakistan including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), delivering the message of importance of financial literacy to everyone. The SBP is engaging more than 100 partner institutes, 60 universities and colleges and almost all commercial banks for this week. Further, the SBP has collaborated with the Securities and the Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) for this purpose and both institutions are also conducting more than 100 programmes for financial literacy under the theme on a country wide basis.

These activities will empower individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to make sound financial decisions, contribute to economic growth, and embrace the desired level of financial literacy in the country, said the SBP.