Agent Network Accelerator Survey 2017: Pakistan Country Report

The Agent Network Accelerator (ANA) Survey, based on over 2000 mobile money agents, assesses the health of the cash in/cash out (CICO) agent network in Pakistan to increase understanding of how to build and manage a sustainable CICO agent network.

The survey undertakes an assessment of operational level benchmarks on agent viability, quality of provider support and provider compliance and risk and reviews the current design and structure of the CICO agent network in the country. Additionally, the survey compares Pakistan’s CICO agent network against agent networks in 11 other countries in which the ANA survey is administered and, identifies the opportunities for improvement going forward.

The findings of the survey suggest that:

• Pakistan remains the world leader in shared networks, with the highest rates of non-exclusivity and non-dedication in 2017;
• Pakistan’s market is largely focused on OTC-based P2P transfers;
• With new KYC regulations coming into effect earlier this year in Pakistan, many agents have yet to secure Biometric Verification System (BVS) machines, as providers fail to provide the required investment;
• The all-male network in the country currently contributes to the gender gap in financial inclusion.