BISP gets over 20pc boost
ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been budgeted at Rs722.48 billion for the upcoming financial year 2025-26, an increase of over 20 percent in the programme's annual budget, in comparison to Rs598.71 billion it received in the outgoing financial year.
BISP's proposed budget figure for new financial year, like previous years, is marked with stark discrepancies.
Last month, the country report of International Monetary Fund (IMF) related to Pakistan gave the figure of Rs 716 billion as BISP's budget for the new financial year.
BISP budget to rise 20% to Rs716bn in FY26; Kafalat stipend increased
This figure was also given by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in his budget speech in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
However, in the Finance Ministry's budgetary allocations issued Tuesday, Rs 716.61 billion figure is listed under the head of 'operating expenses' in the proposed federal budget for forthcoming financial year, whereas BISP's total proposed budget for FY 2025-26 is Rs 722.48 billion, out of which Rs 5.87 billion have been earmarked under the head of 'employees-related expenses.'
In addition, the IMF report mentioned BISP's budget for the outgoing financial year as Rs 598 billion, whereas in the Finance Ministry's data this figure is Rs 598.71 billion. In some official documents, BISP's budget for the outgoing FY 2024-25 was previously listed Rs 599 billion.
The BISP's budget in the previous FY 2023-24 was Rs 471.23 billion, but the latest budget documents show this figure as Rs 471.078 billion.
Last June, the Economic Survey issued by Finance Ministry showed BISP's budget for previous FY 2023-24 at Rs 466 billion.
The IMF's country report on Pakistan from the last year mentioned BISP's budget for FY2023-24 asRs 472 billion.
Last fiscal year's budget initially showed an increase of only 10 percent compared to previous financial year 2022-23—from Rs 408 billion to Rs 450 billion. Later, this figure was revised upward to Rs 471 billion, showing a 15 percent increase.
In April, 2023, the then BISP Chairperson Shazia Marri first claimed that government increased BISP's budget by 60 percent— from Rs 250 billion in FY 2021-22 to Rs 400 billion in FY 2022-23 but then 'revised' this claim, saying, the government increased BISP budget by 70 percent from Rs 235 billion in FY 2021-22 to Rs 400 billion in the FY 2022-23. This claim was contradicted by other relevant government documents that showed BISPs budget at Rs 250 billion in FY 2021-22, and not Rs 235 billion.
Budget documents from previous years further suggested that BISP's budget in 2022-23 was Rs 408 billion and not Rs 400 billion.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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