Page 54 - CMA Journal (July-August 2025)

Focus Section
Fintech, Data Analytics, and

Financial Inclusion in Pakistan

Fintech can radically change the financial landscape of aspects of conve-
Pakistan, especially by broadening the availability of nience, reach, and
financial services to rural and remote underserved innovation. By combin-
populations. This research seeks to analyze the impact of ing these two words,
fintech innovations on Pakistan’s economic development we get what is known
by examining the extent of financial inclusion, service as fintech, which refers
delivery efficiency, and the cost associated with financial to the industry conver-
intermediation. ged with technology to
disrupt and renovate
Pakistan’s fintech adoption potential is hindered by a the traditional banking
myriad of challenges, including, but not limited to, low and investment model
financial literacy and literacy rates, trust deficits among using cloud comput-
users, limited regulatory frameworks, and infrastructural ing, artificial intelli-
barriers (Qambrani, 2024). This paper aims to fill this gap by gence, machine learn- Gulnaz Akhtar, FCMA
conducting a systems review of literature and secondary ing, and several other Manager Audit and Taxation,
data to analyze these barriers, propose solutions, and sophisticated tools. Maan Associates, Cost and
provide targeted policy recommendations. Management Accountants
Fintech has since found
The main objective of this article is to identify emerging ways to incorporate
risks arresting intentions toward adopting fintech, analyze technological advancements and offer new products
skewed perspectives on the part of investors, and suggest that are more efficient, transparent, and accessible.
concrete mechanisms that can be used as a precursor for a Fintech platforms accurately offer predictive modeling
safe and sustainable fintech ecosystem in Pakistan. and trend analytics using data analytics, which is the
driving force of trend evolution.
In an underdeveloped economy with financial
penetration rates lagging behind the global average, Data as a Strategic Asset
emerging modern fintech solutions such as digital
banking, mobile payments, and robo-advisory services Data serves a significant role in the fintech world, acting
can be transformative. In the context of Pakistan’s as a strategic asset, as it is collected and analyzed to offer
distinctive socio-economic and regulatory landscape, the better and more effective services. New and valuable
study focuses on emphasizing important foundational financial insights can be achieved through the immense
sectors for the adoption of fintech innovations. data analytical processes in fintech, especially
considering the multitude of data produced daily.
The study is set to offer a clear landscape of fintech
evolution within Pakistan, identify structural and Fintech companies are capable of analyzing customer
operational barriers to technology uptake, and propose interactions, identify real-time market patterns, and
strategic interventions for innovation and startup identifying changes in financial performance over time
development in this strategic sector. With financial (Awotunde et al., 2021). This allows for innovation and
transactions now carried out in seconds, data analytics incorporation of new services into existing frameworks,
could only get integrated into financial technology as well as better evaluation of risk, thus enabling the
(fintech) to help create smarter and more informed provision of more tailored and customer-friendly
decision-makers. This piece takes a closer look at the financial services. The bottom line is that the more
importance of data and analytics amidst the fintech accurate the data analysis, the better the company can
landscape, illustrating its impact on consumers, design custom strategies for long-term growth and
businesses, and society as a whole. thrive, turning data into valuable insights.

Not only has fintech drastically changed the way financial
services are delivered, but it has also shaken up all

52 ICMA’s Chartered Management Accountant, Jul-Aug 2025