ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday emphasized the need to strengthen the reach of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) as well as the number of beneficiaries for the upliftment of the disadvantaged sections of the society.
The Chairman expressed these views during a briefing held by the Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), Ms. Rubina Khalid, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
He requested BISP Chairman to set up an office in Gwadar so that the deserving people of the area can benefit from the scheme.
Taking note of the 0.45% service charges by banks on BISP card holders, the President said that the service charges should be waived and in this regard she should approach the State Bank of Pakistan to request banks to open accounts for BISP beneficiaries . .
He said the new payment system will also protect BISP beneficiaries from exploitation. He also called for the involvement of donors and the private sector to support BISP in its efforts to provide scholarships to maximum number of deserving students.
During the briefing, the President was briefed on the major initiatives taken by BISP, including the Benazir Kafalat Programme, the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif Programme, the BISP Undergraduate Scholarship Program and the Benazir Nashounuma Programme. BISP Chairman informed that Rs.598.718 billion has been allocated for BISP during the ongoing fiscal year.
She said that Benazir Kafalat is the flagship program of BISP, which provides unconditional cash transfers to eligible women and transgender people across Pakistan. It was highlighted that Rs 461 billion has been allocated to 9.3 million eligible families during the fiscal year 2024-2025 under the Benazir Kafalat programme.
To improve school enrollment and provide education to children from low-income households, she informed that Rs 77.18 billion has been allocated to Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, which would benefit 9.7 million children. It was further highlighted that Rs 1.7 billion has been allocated to provide 10,000 scholarships to students under the BISP Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme.
The meeting was told that special nutrition was also being provided to 2 million pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and their infants to address malnutrition and stunting. She also informed that during the 2022 floods, BISP disbursed Rs 70 billion to 2.7 million flood affected families across Pakistan. The President appreciated the BISP for providing monetary relief to the deserving and underprivileged sections of the society.
