National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF), a subsidiary of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) jointly organized an event titled ‘Moving towards Inclusive Pakistan’ on March 9, 2022 at NIBAF Islamabad to acknowledging the commitment of teachers working towards imparting awareness on financial literacy to hearing-impaired students. The seminar was graced by the Governor SBP Dr. Reza Baqir, First Lady Ms. Samina Arif Alvi and the Chief Operating Officer PPAF, Mr. Nadir Gul Barech. Prominent members of the development and education sector, banking community, and business fraternity were also present.
In his address Governor SBP Dr. Reza Baqir said that the vision of full financial inclusion in the country cannot be achieved without bringing the excluded segments of the society in the formal banking sector. He emphasized that persons with disabilities must also enjoy fair and equal access to the financial sector services to make full use of their potential for an independent living. Dr. Baqir shared with the audience that SBP is working with banks to improve financial independence of persons with disabilities by improving their access to banking services and providing them opportunities to contribute as bank employees besides creating financial awareness amongst them. Governor SBP appreciated the efforts of NIBAF and PPAF for imparting financial literacy among members of deaf community including students and reiterated that this commitment of financial inclusion of every citizen in the country will continue as a priority for SBP.
The chief guest Ms. Samina Arif Alvi in her address said that learning should not be confined to age or abilities. She remarked that financial education and training being provided to the deaf is not only a great cause but it will help develop their careers and add to the national economy. She appreciated the commitment of teachers in imparting education to persons with disabilities. The First Lady also lauded the efforts being made by SBP in this regard and stressed for the need of making public aware of State Bank’s initiatives to make Pakistan more inclusive and progressive to be able to meet the fast-paced global development.
COO PPAF Mr. Nadir Gul Barech said in his remarks that PPAF is committed to an inclusive development agenda in Pakistan, which cannot be achieved unless we enable persons with special needs to reach their full potential.
It may be mentioned here that National Financial Literacy Program for Youth (NFLP-Y) steered by NIBAF and PPAF jointly arranged training of teachers on financial literacy content. These teachers will then impart awareness on financial literacy to over 10,000 hearing-impaired students across Pakistan in one year. The event aimed to acknowledge the commitment of these teachers to their cause and to highlight significance of including person with disabilities into formal banking system.
During the event, Pakistan’s first ever ‘Financial Literacy Video Tutorial’ especially made for deaf and hard-of-hearing children was also launched. This visual aid enables the hearing-impaired people from all across Pakistan to learn about financial literacy without needing the presence of teachers.