Latest news with #BenazirIncomeSupportProgramme
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Digitisation: tread the path carefully
EDITORIAL: The incumbent government is focused on digitisation in areas of engagement with the general public — which began with the use of ATM cards by the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), and more recently by a proactive drive towards digitisation by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and yet to be implemented recent decision by the cabinet to print QR codes on all utility bills (electricity, gas, and telephone). The objective of such an exercise is salutary: to ensure all payments to BISP beneficiaries are effectively disbursed and all dues to the government are effectively collected. Reports suggest that many BISP beneficiaries, who are not literate and unable to withdraw the cash themselves, are forced to rely on others to withdraw their quarterly payments. Many who assist beneficiaries charge a flat fee for the withdrawal, while there are some who are unscrupulous and defraud a beneficiary of a sizeable portion of the money. And while some do register a complaint in the FIA yet the amount involved is so small from the FIA's perspective that investigation, if any, is perfunctory. State Bank and FBR have jointly introduced online collection of taxes and duties which, as per the Bank's website, is 'aimed at improving payments system especially in the context of revenue collection besides facilitating taxpayers and minimising incidence of leakages' as 'empirical studies show a strong correlation between electronic tax collection and revenue growth.' This again presupposes that a small or even a medium-sized business would have the necessary manpower — 'computer literacy' — to pay online without incurring any extra cost — a supposition that may not be accurate and may actually push many a prospective taxpayer to opt to operate purely on cash — a trend that is fairly widespread in this country. However, the SBP does note that 'digital risks emanating from the system need to be addressed carefully. Cybersecurity and privacy issues should be prudently tackled for developing taxpayers' trust and making digitisation more progressive.' With respect to QR codes, there is a legitimate concern that QR codes may actually allow the fraudsters to pay off part or whole of someone else's utility bill. In the UK, QR codes are increasingly found in electricity bills that provide tariff details, consumption and other relevant information that may potentially facilitate payment. However, what is relevant to note is that QR codes in use in the UK have features like advanced encryption and string customer authentication that assists in protecting financial information. While the recent thrust by the government towards a cashless economy is supported as its objective is to streamline payment/dues and to ensure fewer delinquents, yet Pakistan has not achieved any degree of cyber security that is critical before this objective can be met. One would hope that the government focuses attention on education; so far the provincial outlays on education have been small and more than offset by budgeting large amounts on physical infrastructure that, disturbingly, is increasingly requiring massive annual maintenance due to the floods as Pakistan remains one of the most climate-stressed countries in the world. To conclude, a holistic approach would entail starting with higher education outlays, at least 6 percent of total expenditure, which would provide the public with the know-how to use the digital platforms effectively and guard themselves against the ever-present likelihood of fraud in this country. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Miftah for probe into sugar export ‘crisis'
KARACHI: Former federal finance minister Miftah Ismail on Monday called for a thorough investigation into the country's recent sugar export crisis alleging that the policy benefited only a select group of sugar mill owners and was driven by vested government interests. Addressing at a press conference in Karachi, Ismail categorically rejected corruption allegations levelled against him by two senators from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), terming them 'baseless and politically motivated.' He singled out PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, stating that the former minister had already apologised to him privately for making false accusations regarding the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). 'I was in jail when the funds for this program were raised,' Ismail said, insisting he had no involvement in the alleged mismanagement. 'These allegations are being made simply because I speak the truth about the failures of this government,' he said, adding that if Chaudhry or any other accuser has evidence, they should bring it forward. 'Otherwise, apologise or be ready to face the court,' he added. Commenting on the sugar export policy, the former finance minister said the export was deliberately carried out to create an artificial price hike. 'Sugar was exported to make it expensive. Only mill owners benefited, and the decision was taken in an organised way,' he alleged. In a surprising revelation, Ismail said that the foreign minister was made the head of the committee overseeing sugar matters — a move he described as unprecedented and a reflection of the government's conflict of interest. 'This is not just about sugar; this is about the government's priorities,' he said. Ismail also criticised the federal government's policies, especially in the agriculture and energy sectors. 'The current government is not farmer-friendly. The farming community has been left to suffer while sugar barons thrive,' he said, expressing concern over rising input costs and a lack of subsidies. On the issue of power tariffs, Ismail lamented the growing burden on the common citizen. 'Electricity prices are increasing every other day. The poor are being crushed under the weight of overbilling and inefficiencies,' he said, referring to the recent Rs 244 billion in electricity overbilling. 'If you are honest, return this amount to the people.' Taking aim at the ruling party, he said, 'Shehbaz Sharif's government has been in power for three years, but all we see is worsening governance and growing public misery. Even good governance has been washed away by the floods in Punjab.' He also expressed sorrow over the recent tragedies, including the boat sinking in Gwadar and deaths caused by monsoon rains across the country. 'I offer my deepest condolences to the families affected by these disasters,' he said.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Even Trump deals with 'real power', not PM, says Miftah
Central Secretary General of Awam Pakistan Party and former finance minister Miftah Ismail has said that even U.S. President Donald Trump, like many others, prefers speaking to Pakistan's power centres rather than the prime minister because it is widely believed that only the powerful can resolve real issues. Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, Miftah stated, "If the PML-N returns to its original narrative of 'respect the vote,' a political alliance with Awam Pakistan Party is possible." Clarifying recent allegations, Miftah said he does not engage in blame games. Referring to accusations made by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Senator Anusha Rahman regarding the Nashonuma programme under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), he categorically denied any wrongdoing and demanded a public apology. "The allegations are false and baseless. If they do not apologise, I will take them to court," he warned. He offered condolences to the families of victims of the Gwadar incident, recent rains and other tragic accidents. Criticising governance failures, he said, while people were drowning in floods, the Punjab government's performance drowned with them. "As for Sindh and K-P, no one expects good governance from them anyway."
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
NA body orders urgent steps to end BISP staffing crisis
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety ordered immediate action to resolve the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)'s staffing crisis, directing the Poverty Alleviation Ministry to urgently engage the Finance Ministry and lift the recruitment freeze hampering welfare operations. The committee ordered immediate action to resolve BISP's staffing crisis, directing the Poverty Alleviation Ministry to urgently engage the Finance Ministry and lift the recruitment freeze hampering welfare operations. The committee also expressed serious concern over the continuously resistance from commercial banks in opening accounts for beneficiaries, with Private Financial Institutions (PFIs) demonstrating marked preference for their conventional clients over welfare recipients. The committee met with Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur in the chair at the Parliament house on Friday. The committee was told that the BISP is facing a staffing crisis of a shortage of personnel at various levels. This shortage is impacting the programme's ability to effectively serve beneficiaries and manage its operations, leading to concerns about service delivery and potential hardships for those relying on BISP's assistance The secretary Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety confirmed to the Committee that a draft National Poverty Alleviation Policy is ready for and they are currently awaiting provincial governments' feedback, with a federal-provincial Poverty Alleviation Coordination Council to be established upon final approval. Presiding over a contentious review of Pakistan's welfare system, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur led committee members in exposing banking sector roadblocks to BISP implementation while demanding urgent reforms to protect vulnerable beneficiaries. The meeting commenced with an acknowledgment of the ministry's compliance with the committee direction from previous proceedings, while members expressed concerns regarding incomplete responses in the submitted compliance report, particularly concerning State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and demanded that Ministry to take up this matter with SBP. In response, the secretary BISP provided detailed dual-track solution involving simultaneous physical BISP Sahulat and digital wallet account initiatives. He said that the physical account pilot would commence in Karachi on August 14, symbolically aligning with Independence Day to emphasise country's downtrodden women financial emancipation. He said that concurrently, a digital account system will utilise biometric verification (BVS) through CNIC-linked mobile SIMs, mandated by recent SBP policy reforms. Both pilots will operate for six months, with comprehensive evaluations expected by January 2026. The committee emphasised the necessity of beneficiary orientation programmes, particularly, in underserved regions, to ensure effective adoption of these financial mechanisms. The committee raised questions regarding BISP's role in addressing the humanitarian crisis following recent building collapse in Karachi that left numerous poor women homeless. The secretary Ministry Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and BISP clarified constitutional limitations, noting that housing and shelter interventions fall under provincial jurisdiction. The BISP advertisement budgetary transparency emerged as another critical discussion point, with committee members demanding detailed expenditure reports for BISP's media campaigns for the FY 2024-25 and current FY 2025-26, having found initial submissions insufficiently comprehensive. Operational challenges received considerable attention, including measures to address disbursement delays through enhanced two-factor authentication at payment campsites. Contractual enforcement emerged as a key concern, with the committee noting the termination of Habib Bank Limited's contract due to non-compliance and plans for similar and even more stricter penalties against such underperforming contracting private banks. The committee members also highlighted the outdated nature of the 2019 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) data shared by Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, directing them to produce updated and comparative analysis of the metrics in the next meeting. The committee was informed by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) about their foreign-funded projects worth Rs11.7 billion that are currently operating across 253 union councils, covering diverse initiatives from livestock value chains to micro-hydel and nutritional programmes. It is pertaining to mention here that the projects are focusing on poverty reduction and sustainable development in Pakistan. These projects, supported by organizations like the European Union and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau(KfW), target diverse areas such as agriculture, rural development, and access to energy. The Kfw is a German state-owned development bank, originally established after World War II. The KfW supports various development goals, including those related to climate action, energy efficiency, and sustainable development. The committee was briefed on the continuation of the National Poverty Graduation Programme with new donor agency, now expanded to include five additional districts alongside the original twenty, though procedural issues have temporarily excluded it from PSDP allocations. This comprehensive session underscored the committee's commitment to rigorous oversight of social safety initiatives while highlighting both institutional progress and systemic challenges requiring continued attention. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Employees continue protest against USC shutdown
ISLAMABAD: Employees of the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC) continued their protest on Wednesday against the shutting down of Utility Stores by the federal government across the country. Organised under the Joint Action Committee of USC, hundreds of workers staged a sit-in outside the USC headquarters in Islamabad, demanding an immediate reversal of the closure decision. Protesters chanted slogans against the government and vowed to continue their demonstration until their demands are met. The demonstrators warned that closing down Utility Stores would worsen inflation and push thousands of workers into unemployment. 'Shutting down Utility Stores would be like handing over 260 million citizens to the mafias of inflation,' one protester said. They also alleged that the government's move violates national labour and privatisation laws. Due to the protest and heightened security measures, heavy traffic congestion was witnessed on roads leading to the Red Zone, particularly around the Parliament House, as authorities braced to avert possible movement of protesters towards the Red Zone. Addressing the rally, senior Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Chaudhry Manzoor Hussain strongly criticised the government's privatisation policy. He said they are not just selling off Utility Stores; they are selling institutions such as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation Ltd (Passco) as well. 'Tell me, is there any institution they do not want to sell?' He reminded the crowd that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had established the USC to eliminate profiteering and provide affordable daily essentials to the public under one roof. Manzoor rejected the government's justification that Utility Stores are being shut down due to financial losses. He responded to official claims that Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) now fulfills the need: 'BISP does not support those earning Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 monthly. Where will they go?' He also criticised the government's failure to implement its own minimum wage policy, claiming that the motive behind the closures is not reform but corruption and profiteering. 'They want to loot the system, and we will not let them do it,' he added. Addressing public concerns over PPP's role in the federal government, Manzoor clarified: 'We are not part of the government. Being part of the government means having the prime minister or your ministers in the cabinet. We only support the government's good actions — we are not part of their corruption.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
