NOWPDP in association with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the banking sector launched the first ever Center of Excellence for Financial Inclusion for persons with disabilities (PWDs) on Friday.

NOWPDP is a disability inclusion initiative working on the identity, welfare, education, and economic empowerment of persons with disabilities.

“We have been working for the last 15 years and over 2,000 PWDs have received jobs through our process,” CEO NOWPDP Omair Ahmad told Business Recorder at the sidelines of the launch ceremony.

“Now, following the SBP’s new policy, we expect 15,000 to 20,000 PWDs getting jobs annually,” he said.

According to the State Bank’s policy for disability inclusion, at least 5 percent of the banking sector workforce have to be persons with disabilities by 2028.

Facilitating the implementation of the policy and mandate, NOWPDP launched the center for financial inclusion that will provide a platform to PWDs and banks alike to attain their goals for inclusion.

The center has the capacity to ensure employments for around 1,000 PWDs annually through trainings and financial literacy along with facilitating banks to be conducive to disability inclusion.

“We intend to set a benchmark for inclusion in the world,” President NOWPDP Amin Hashwani said. “Where the world is progressing in innovation in all areas, we are the pioneers of one stop solutions for meaningful disability inclusion and empowerment.”

“I see this center becoming a one of its kind model internationally that ensures effective inclusion implementation across industries.”

SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said the central bank's policy for financial inclusion of persons with disabilities launched in June 2021 entails establishment of a dedicated network of model branches across the country.

Governor SBP hoped that model branches will provide all necessary state of the art physical and technological infrastructure and facilitative services at one place for PWDs.

He said that against a target of establishment of 389 model branches in 108 districts of the country, 241 model branches are already fully functional while the remaining branches will become operational by December 2022.

Meanwhile, Hashwani said that his organisation intended to set a benchmark for inclusion in the world. He noted while the world is progressing in innovation in all areas, they are the pioneers of one stop solutions for meaningful disability inclusion and empowerment.

He said he sees this center becoming a one of its kind model internationally that ensures effective inclusion implementation across industries.

Facilitating the implementation of the policy and mandate, NOWPDP launched the center for financial inclusion that will provide a platform to PWDs and banks alike to attain their goals for inclusion.

The center has the capacity to ensure employments for around 1000 PWDs annually through trainings and financial literacy along with facilitating banks to be conducive to disability inclusion.

The banks aim to partner consistently with NOWPDP and pledged to make the dream of an inclusive Pakistan a reality.