Sustainable Development through Financial Inclusion: The Use of Financial Services and Barriers in Quetta-Pakistan

Abstract

For sustainable development, financial services including interest, deposits, E-commerce, and access to finance should be available to everyone in the society, especially to the marginalized groups. This research is utilizing a questionnaire to identify the level of financial inclusion, use of financial services, and barriers in Quetta-Pakistan. The results suggest that access to a bank account, awareness, and level of satisfaction with banking services is high showing efficient performance by banks, but the utilization of these services is very low. It is also observed that people are availing only basic services. The banking sector failed to provide other services like interest, credits, insurances, e-commerce, and investment. Even the deposit function was availed because of mandatory conditions from the employer for salary. The level of financial resilience is low. The highest self-reported barrier to the use of bank account was illiteracy, language problems, and religious reasons. This research has a policy implication for industry participants and the government to play an important role in increasing the level of financial inclusion.