Experts from the international payment system Mastercard conducted a series of training sessions for financial sector specialists in the three largest cities of the country.
Mastercard organized training for over 50 financial sector specialists from Dushanbe, Khujand, Bokhtar, and their surrounding areas. Employees working with banking products and customer service studied approaches to increasing financial literacy among the population, the specifics of safe card usage for online payments, methods to combat fraud and maintain cybersecurity, as well as modern banking tools for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Particular attention was paid to the opportunities available to banks for supporting entrepreneurs in the transition to cashless payments.
This educational initiative has been implemented against the backdrop of active digitalization in Tajikistan’s financial sector. Over the past year, the number of banking cards in the country has increased by 23.7%, and starting from the second half of 2023, payments to the government are being transitioned to a cashless format.
In the context of the growing penetration of digital financial services, the development of financial literacy and skills for safely using digital payments plays a crucial role. At the beginning of this year, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, approved a five-year plan to enhance the financial literacy of the population.
“Employees in the financial sector are becoming the main conduits for digital services for millions of people. Therefore, it is important for us that banks, partners, and clients speak the same language — the language of modern financial technologies. Mastercard not only develops the payment infrastructure in the region but also shares its international expertise, helping to enhance financial literacy and skills in the digital environment among bankers and the population of the country. We see our role not only as a technology partner but also as a driver of educational initiatives for the market,” said Sanjar Jamalov, General Director of Mastercard in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
It is worth noting that the launch of Apple Pay is expected in the country soon – a feature that will allow cardholders to make purchases using mobile phones and further simplify everyday payments.
Mastercard is consistently investing in the human capital of the region. This autumn, the global Mastercard Kids4Tech project will be launched in Tajikistan — a program for children aged 8–12, during which young participants will get acquainted with future professions in the STEM field, learn to solve problems using new technologies and teamwork.
