SFD Circular No. 01: Showing the expenditure for promoting the use of Bangla QR as CSR expenditure

Bangladesh Bank Chief Executive Sustainable Finance Department SFD Circular No.: 01 Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers All Scheduled Banks Operating in Bangladesh

Dear Sir,

With reference to the expenditure incurred for promoting the use of Bangla QR as CSR expenditure, and in coordination with the Honorable Prime Minister's Smart Bangladesh, Bangladesh Perspective Plan 2021-41, and the Eighth Five-Year Plan, to achieve the target of bringing 30% of all transactions in the country online or cashless by mid-2025 and 100% by 2031, thereby bringing the initial population into the digital payment ecosystem, the following expenditures may be shown under the CSR head from June 01, 2024, to December 31, 2025, under the 'Cashless Bangladesh' initiative to further popularize transactions via the Bangla QR channel:

a) Government-mandated charges (GMC) and Operational Charges (OC) specified for micro-merchants during the special campaign of Bangla QR operated through banks under the instructions of the Payment Systems Department of Bangladesh Bank; b) All publicity, awareness meetings, seminars, and training programs related to the Cashless Bangladesh campaign, GMC and OC for Bangla QR transactions at Eid-ul-Adha animal markets, and expenditures related to the preparation of infrastructure for this purpose.

2. Travel allowances, accommodation, hotel bills, etc., of the staff of the concerned institutions under the Cashless Bangladesh initiative (which are considered as travel allowances) shall not be shown under the CSR head.

3. It is advised to show the aforementioned expenditures in the other heads of the Reporting Format issued via SFD Circular No. 05, dated: November 23, 2023, after being shown in the CSR head.

Yours faithfully,

(Chowdhury Liaquat Ali) Director (SFD) Phone: 9530320 CC: mas@sf.bangladeshbank.org.bd

May 30, 2024 Date: -- - - - - - - - - - 16 Joishtho 1431