President Asif Ali Zardari must expand the Income Support Program Pay Backing Project (BISP) and make it more comprehensive to serve underestimated networks more readily. He suggested adding more beneficiaries to enable the program to assist more needy people effectively.
Gwadar Office Instructions Income Support Program
During her recent meeting with him, President Zardari instructed Rubina Khalid, the BISP Chairperson, to open a BISP office in Gwadar. This is intended to bring the benefits of this program closer to far-flung areas that have never been reached before due to their isolation or being regarded as less critical by other organizations.
Addressing Service Charges and Banking Concerns
President Zardari addressed concerns regarding the 0.45% service charges banks deduct from Benazir cardholders. He proposed contacting the State Bank to discuss eliminating these charges. He aims to protect beneficiaries from additional financial burdens and ensure that banking fees do not reduce their intended funds.
Bank Account Accessibility Income Support Program
In addition to addressing service charges, President Zardari has called on banks to facilitate opening accounts for BISP beneficiaries. This move is intended to safeguard beneficiaries from exploitation and improve the efficiency of the payment system. The program aims to provide more secure and streamlined financial support by integrating modern payment systems.
Enhancing Scholarships and Educational Support Income Support Program
President Zardari has underscored the importance of involving donors and the private sector to increase the provision of scholarships. His appeal is focused on ensuring that as many deserving students as possible receive educational support. This effort is crucial for empowering the youth and fostering educational advancement.
Allocation for Educational Programs
Rubina Khalid briefed about financial allocations for different educational programs. For the fiscal year 2024-25, the government has allocated 93 billion rupees to support 9.3 million families under the Benazir Kafalat Programme. Additionally, they have assigned 77.18 billion rupees to increase school enrollments and provide education opportunities to children from low-income households.
Benazir Tackling Malnutrition
ScholarshipsThe Benazir Educational Scholarships Program aims to benefit 9.7 million children, with scholarships worth 1.7 billion rupees for 10,000 undergraduate students. This initiative intends to help students get higher education and achieve their academic targets.
Nutritional Support and Emergency Relief Income Support Program
The program also targets fighting malnutrition and stunted growth issues among children.
Flood Relief Efforts
In response to the massive floods of 2022, the Benazir Income Support Program played a pivotal role in disaster management by distributing seventy billion rupees among two point seven million flood-affected families across Pakistan; this emergency cash helped them immediately with survival needs such as food, clothes, medicine, shelter, etc., while supporting their recovery process, too.
Appreciation for BISP’s Efforts
To sum up, President Asif Ali Zardari lauded ongoing work done by the Benazir Income Support Programme for providing financial assistance, relief care aid, etcetera, targeting the poorest marginalized sections of society; his remarks underscored the considerable success achieved so far by the scheme vis à vis its sustainability through constant improvement keeping pace with changing times demands of beneficiaries’
