Pakistan Pavilion shines at Singapore Fintech Festival
The annual Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) experienced a
robust presence from Pakistan as a 62-member delegation of fintech companies
took center stage at the event.
Hosted by Invent Global, an exhibition experience provider,
the Pakistan Pavilion was inaugurated by Saleem Ullah, the High Commissioner
and Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
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The pavilion showcased seven dynamic fintech companies,
including Red Buffer, Vizz Web Solutions, Dimensional Sys, EastRiver, Botwa
Fintech, E.ocean, and Emblem. Complementing this, the Bank of Punjab-sponsored
Sprint Pakistan Hackathon's three finalists—Investors Lounge, Digi Khata, and
Dukan.pk—were provided complimentary booths at the Talent Zone by SFF.
The festival, boasting over 62,000 participants and 10,000
organizations from 134 countries, featured keynote addresses by global
financial leaders. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), discussed advancements in the international digital
finance sector. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the President of Singapore, engaged in
a fireside chat on the rise and challenges of AI trends in Singapore, and the
President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, concluded the event with a closing
speech.
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The festival offered valuable opportunities for Pakistan to
connect with global leaders in the fintech domain. The high commissioner hosted
a networking dinner at Pakistan House, attended by top leaders from the
Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore Fintech Association, Apix Singapore,
Global Fintech Institute, and major banks including HSBC, Standard Chartered,
and OCBC.
This dinner facilitated networking between Pakistani
entrepreneurs and their Singaporean counterparts, as well as high-ranking tech
executives. Special events included Dr. Sara Saeed, CEO of Sehat Kahani,
sharing her success story at the prestigious "Founders Peak," and the
Deputy Governor of SBP participating in a discussion at the Regulators Stage,
sharing Pakistan's experience in financial crimes prevention.
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The Pakistani fintech delegation also visited and networked
at Google, Meta, and Stripe offices, arranged by the High Commission for
exclusive networking and knowledge-sharing sessions. The Deputy Governor of SBP
met with the Vice President of Meta, Singapore.
The UK-based Centre for Finance, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
hosted a lunch for Deputy Governor SBP, HBL team, and the High Commissioner to
explore courses on financial technologies and entrepreneurship for Pakistani
bankers and finance professionals.
Participation in the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023 and
related events marked a significant milestone for the promotion of innovation
and collaboration between Pakistan and the global fintech industry. It
underscored the growing strength and potential of the Pakistani fintech sector
on the global stage.
Source: APP