The Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BEOE) has announced important updates for overseas Pakistanis participating in the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program (SDRP). This initiative encourages the use of official banking channels by providing financial incentives to those who remit funds to Pakistan, thereby supporting the national economy.
In a significant development, the SDRP was launched to assist the Pakistani diaspora by rewarding citizens abroad who transfer money through authorized exchange companies or banking systems. The program is managed through a dedicated smartphone application available in both English and Urdu, which monitors transactions in real-time and immediately credits reward points to the user’s account. These points can be redeemed for various government services or converted into cash.
The program operates on a tiered reward system based on the total remittance amount within a fiscal year. Participants sending up to $10,000 are classified in the Green tier, earning 1.00% in reward points. Those remitting between $10,001 and $30,000 qualify for the Gold tier with a 1.25% reward rate. The Platinum tier applies to transfers ranging from $30,001 to $50,000, offering 1.50% rewards, while the highest Diamond tier provides a 1.75% reward for annual remittances exceeding $50,000. Notably, users can be upgraded to higher tiers as their cumulative remittances increase throughout the year.
One of the program’s most appealing features is the ability to use accumulated points as a form of virtual currency for essential government services. These include purchasing international air tickets and paying extra baggage fees with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), settling customs duties on imported mobile phones and vehicles through the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and covering renewal fees for CNIC and NICOP via NADRA. Additionally, points can be used to pay premiums for State Life Insurance or Takaful, cover tuition fees at Overseas Pakistan Foundation (OPF) schools, pay passport renewal charges, and settle Protector Registration fees at the Bureau of Emigration.
To participate, users simply need to download the Sohni Dharti Remittance Program app, available on the Google Play Store for Android and the Apple App Store for iOS. Reward points are displayed on a virtual card within the app, which updates automatically after each remittance, making it easy for overseas Pakistanis to track and redeem their benefits.
