KARACHI: Pakistan recorded gross inflows of $259 million under the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) in August 2026, moderating from the six-month average of $290 million but remaining well above the long-term average of $193 million recorded since the scheme's inception in September 2020.
Net inflows, gross inflows minus funds repatriated by overseas account holders, stood at $234 million in August, compared with a six-month average of $266 million and a since-launch average of $163 million.
While the August figures represent a slowdown from the record-setting run seen earlier in the year, when monthly inflows repeatedly crossed the $280–320 million mark, they continue to outpace the scheme's historical norm, underscoring sustained overseas Pakistani interest in the programme even as month-to-month momentum cools.
What is the Roshan Digital Account?
The Roshan Digital Account is a State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) initiative introduced to provide overseas Pakistanis with a convenient channel to participate in Pakistan's banking and investment system remotely. Launched on September 10, 2020, the scheme allows non-resident Pakistanis to open and operate bank accounts digitally from abroad, without needing to visit a branch in person or navigate the paperwork that traditionally made it difficult for the diaspora to bank in Pakistan.
Through an RDA, account holders can invest in government debt instruments such as Naya Pakistan Certificates (both conventional and Shariah-compliant), purchase equities on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, and maintain foreign currency balances — with the added flexibility that funds invested through RDAs, along with profits earned, can be repatriated under applicable rules. Non-resident Pakistanis owning companies abroad are also eligible to invest under the scheme.
More recently, the programme's scope has widened further. In March 2026, the government opened the scheme to foreign nationals, companies, and institutional investors, allowing them to hold Roshan Digital Accounts and buy the same securities once reserved for the diaspora — a shift the finance ministry has described as an effort to deepen Pakistan's financial markets and broaden its investor base beyond remittance-sending individuals.
Why it was launched
The RDA was designed to tap into the financial resources of the roughly nine million Pakistanis living overseas, giving them a formal, secure and easy-to-access channel to save, invest and transact in their home country. Before the scheme's launch, opening or operating a Pakistani bank account from abroad was often cumbersome, pushing many non-resident Pakistanis toward informal channels or discouraging them from engaging with the domestic financial system altogether.
By digitising the process, accounts can reportedly be opened within 48 hours, the SBP aimed to channel diaspora savings into formal banking and capital markets, boost dollar inflows, and support the country's foreign exchange reserves at a time when Pakistan has frequently faced balance-of-payments pressure.
Its role in Pakistan's economy
Since its 2020 launch, the RDA has grown into one of Pakistan's most significant sources of non-remittance foreign exchange inflows.
Cumulative inflows under the scheme have reached approximately $13.647 billion since its launch, with roughly $2.118 billion repatriated and about $8.603 billion utilized locally as of July 2026, according to SBP data, figures that will have risen further with August's fresh inflows.
The number of accounts opened by overseas Pakistanis had already crossed 956,000 by that point.
The initiative has become a key pillar of Pakistan's efforts to formalise diaspora savings and attract foreign capital into government securities and equities, complementing traditional worker remittances as a source of dollar liquidity. Analysts note that the scheme's expansion to foreign investors this year reflects Islamabad's broader push to widen its investor base amid a tight fiscal environment, positioning the RDA not just as a remittance channel but as a growing gateway for foreign capital into Pakistan's financial markets.
