BISP Kafaalat initiative: ‘Financial aid provided directly to female members of qualifying households'
ISLAMABAD: Financial assistance is provided directly to female members of qualifying households under Kafaalat initiative as part of BISP's approach to promote women's central role within their families, Secretary Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Amer Ali Ahmad said.
He has also reaffirmed the government's 'unwavering commitment' to supporting the most deserving segments of the society through BISP.
The secretary BISP shared these views in a meeting with a delegation of officers from the 43rd Mid-Career Management Course (MCMC) of the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA).
The 14-member delegation was received at the BISP headquarters by the secretary BISP along with BISP Chairperson Rubina Khalid on Wednesday.
Dr Syeda Faiza Urooj, Additional Directing Staff at NIPA, headed the delegation.
The primary objective of the visit was to gain firsthand insight into BISP's operational framework, institutional structure, and its pivotal role in implementing social protection programmes nationwide, aimed at uplifting Pakistan's most vulnerable populations, said an official statement issued after the meeting.
Secretary Ahmad appreciated the value of professional training programmes like MCMC, which empower officers to translate their knowledge into practical solutions and communicate ideas clearly and effectively, the statement added.
The secretary outlined key initiatives of the organisation including its flagship programmes: Kafaalat, Taleemi Wazaif, Nashonuma, Hunarmand, National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER), and a new digital payment model.
The BISP chairperson said BISP's biometric verification system ensures transparency and accountability, and it enhances the mobility and empowerment of its beneficiaries.
BISP is a transformational programme and a game-changer in the realm of social protection, she said.
The organisation adheres strictly to the principles of transparency, accountability, and dignity, Khalid said.
Dr Tahir Noor, Additional Secretary BISP, gave a detailed briefing to the delegation on BISP's institutional framework, its expansive countrywide presence, and its core objectives, said the statement.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Recommendations for cashless economy
EDITORIAL: An expert committee on cashless economy, with representatives from the public and private sector, proposed enforcing the use of RAAST QR code, by empowering district administrations to accept digital payments at all retail outlets. RAAST created in 2021 is fully owned by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and offers instant, reliable and digital payment services to the public with the objective of promoting the adoption of digital financial services — an objective that would bring greater numbers into the formal economy. QR codes are used to display text to the user, open a webpage on the user's device, add a vCard contact to the user's device (an electronic business card) to open a Uniform Resource Identifier (a string of characters that uniquely identifies an abstract or physical resource like a website, an email or a book) to connect to a wireless network (which requires wider availability of Wi-Fi than exists in Pakistan today). After the launch of RAAST bulk payments, SBP introduced person-to person fund transfers and settlement services with bank customers able to send and receive payments using the bank's mobile services, internet banking or over the counter services. However, use of RAAST would necessitate having a bank account and one would hope that the rather stringent rules for opening an account are relaxed. The proposal envisages RAAST QR codes be mandatorily installed at all government payment points within six months to create digital wallets for all government disbursements. The beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) access their Kafalat quarterly payments through cash cards provided by partner banks. However, there are a significant number of beneficiaries unable to directly withdraw their disbursements due to inability (attributed to illiteracy) to use cards which, in turn, accounts for their engaging others at a fee which, no doubt, prompted the committee to suggest that these payments should be made digitally. One would hope that RAAST QR codes would make the beneficiary easily purchase items on the market though it may take more than the envisaged six months to a year for very small retail outlets especially those in the rural areas to use RAAST QR code. The committee pointed out that merchants charge 1.5 percent on credit cards and one percent on RAAST and with the informal economy estimated at 35 percent, the committee proposed that sales tax must be reduced on digital payments from 18 percent to 5 percent along with a three-year tax audit break for digital transactions. The committee wisely suggested that the government must favour incentives to punishment as the latter has not worked. Be that as it may, the audit break would apply to the upper income earners of the populace while the hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis who operate under the radar and do not have bank accounts may not be able to benefit from this feature of the proposal. The committee also acknowledged that SIM blocking will reduce access to RAAST (in practice for non-filing of income tax returns, issues of expired and/or stolen NICs) and urged the government to make the 4 percent withholding tax adjustable rather than a minimum tax; and remove 10 percent advance tax on filers with non-filers liable to pay 75 percent as it raises costs and capital expenses. And finally, the withholding tax under Section 236 was raised from 10 to 15 percent in the 2021 supplementary finance act which applies to tax filers, the industry points out, though the bulk of telecom clients are non-filers. To conclude, one can support the proposals; however, one would hope that allied reforms pre-date the committee suggestions, including ease of opening bank accounts, and reforming the tax structure by reducing the existing heavy reliance on indirect taxes, which are passed onto consumers, to direct taxes based on the ability to pay principle as well as taking account of the genuine needs of all productive sectors. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
BISP, World Bank discuss data security
Listen to article The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the World Bank have agreed to deepen collaboration to strengthen data security, transparency, and operational reforms in Pakistan's social protection systems. The decision was made during a meeting between BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid and World Bank Lead Economist Melis U Guven at BISP Headquarters. The two sides discussed strategies to improve data sharing practices, ensure cyber safety, and implement structural improvements in welfare delivery. Khalid called for a national-level workshop to raise awareness among provincial stakeholders about cybersecurity risks and the importance of responsible data sharing. "After NADRA, BISP maintains the second-largest household data repository in Pakistan through the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER)," she said. "There is now a pressing need to centralise this data to enhance its use in development planning."
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
11,614 USC employees removed following closure of 1,925 outlets
ISLAMABAD: The government has shut down 1,925 loss-making Utility Stores outlets countrywide being operated by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) and 4,060 out of a total 11,614 employees were sacked. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production held here under the chairmanship of Senator Aon Abbas to discuss matters pertaining to various attached departments of the Ministry of Industries, Managing Director Utility Stores Faisal Nisar Chaudhry said the closure of these outlets has resulted in saving of Rs1.7 billion. The MD USC said that if the management failed to privatise the USC annually Rs7 billion will be required to pay the salaries of the employees. The MD of the USC told the committee that for the time being, the privatisation process had been stopped because of a lack of its audit for two years. 'The privatisation will take place after the audit is complete,' the USC MD said, adding that 5,000 permanent employees would be sent to the surplus pool, while 2,554 employees still on contracts and on daily wage basis would be laid off. He added that the USC was on the government's privatisation list. 'The target is to complete the two-year audit in August 2025' after which the privatisation would be carried out, the MD stated. He also informed the committee that an initial estimate of the USC properties had been made. According to the USC MD, there were 3,742 Utility Stores across the country, out of which, the government has shut down 1,925 loss-making stores. After the privatisation, only 1,500 stores would require staff. He also said that the USC's monthly losses had been reduced to Rs220 million. The chairman committee inquired the present status of Rightsizing in Utility Stores Corporation (USC). The department briefed the committee that restructuring/rightsizing plan aimed at the eventual privatisation of the USC was formally approved by the USC Board of Directors during its 185th meeting held on 27th December 2024. The USC is being restructured under the restructuring plan according to which the loss-making stores of the corporation are going to be closed and surplus staff thereafter is being laid off. As part of the ongoing restructuring plan of USC, 1,925 stores have been closed and around 4,060 employees (1,823 contractual and 2,237 daily wages) have been laid off. It was also disclosed that the USC will not have sufficient funds to pay salaries to its 5,000 employees beyond next month, due to the closure of a significant number of its outlets. The USC officials informed the committee that the secretary had forwarded recommendations at the highest level, requesting that Rs7 billion funds be allocated for USC in the upcoming budget. The MD USC said that the stores were running on government subsidies and now the government has decided to even provide Ramadan relief package through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to needy people. He said that USC's outstanding payment stand at Rs25 billion. The MD USC further stated that the management has decided to offer golden handshake scheme to 25 percent of the USC employees, otherwise, Rs2.7 billion annually will be spent on the salaries of these employees. The chairman committee recommended that details of the employees recruited in 2007 and 2013 should be submitted in the next meeting, from each province providing 10 office orders. This will enable the committee to assess the duration of their contractual appointments. Additionally, it was recommended that representatives from the Board of Directors (BOD), CBA Union, and PC should be invited to the next meeting. The meeting also discussed the role, functions and achievements of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). The officials, while briefing the panel on PIDC, said that at the time of its creation, Pakistan did not inherit any industrial base as East and West Pakistan combined had only 34 factories out of a total of 921 industrial units in the Subcontinent i.e. 3.6 per cent. They said that the 34 industrial units including, textile mills, cigarettes, rice husking, cotton ginning and flour milling, contributing only 7 percent of GDP and employing only 26,400 people out of an 80 million population at that time. The East Wing produced 70 percent of the world's jute, but there was not a single jute mill and West Bengal (India) was almost the sole buyer. In the West wing, only 16,000 of the total 15,00,000 cotton bales produced could be processed domestically. Further, they told that industrial units setup by PIDC between 1952-1984 were 94 and country's industrial growth during 1953-63 remained around 19.1 per cent which was almost solely due to PIDC. In 2005/06, a number of Section-42 (not-for-profit) Companies and Common Facility Centres were created as wholly-owned subsidiaries of PIDC for intervention in various sectors including gems and jewellery, marble/granite, handicrafts, sporting arms, dies and moulds, technology upgradation for skill imparting, setting up Common Facility Centres and introducing modern technology. The PIDC provided seed money for their establishment. However, the companies had their own independent management and boards, directly appointed by the government, relevant department stated. The committee was informed that the seed money provided is not recovered, rather it is treated as a grant or donation. The committee was apprised of the current status of PIDC projects. It was informed that Bin Qasim Industrial Park – SEZ (Karachi, Sindh), Korangi Creek Industrial Park – SEZ (Karachi), and Rachna Industrial Park – SEZ (Sheikhupura) have been developed. Naushahro Feroze Industrial Park – SEZ (Sindh) is currently under development. Block-A of Karachi Industrial Park – CPEC SEZ has received PC-1 approval (Rs7.4 billion), and the tendering process is underway. Additionally, Sargodha Industrial Park (Punjab) is also being developed. Following the briefing, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla expressed concerns regarding the Port Qasim area, stating that a significant land has no industrial unit established and land is so expensive that an investor would have to spend most of their funds just to acquire the land, leaving little to no resources for setting up the industry. He added that such conditions are unlikely to attract foreign investors, and even if they do come, the challenges are so overwhelming that they eventually withdraw. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
