By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Ms Shazia Marri on Monday said that the BISP was providing financial support to 90 lakh underprivileged families across the country.
She said this while presiding over the opening session of the first annual three-day National Social Protection Conference (SPC) organized by the BISP.
The conference was also attended by the Chairman NADRA, social protection experts, the World Bank and representatives of other international organizations.
The conference was organized with the support of the German German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). The representative of the World Bank, the German Ambassador and others also addressed the conference through a video link.
Shazia Marri while speaking at the opening session said, “This program is providing financial support to economically weak families to cope with climate change and other crises.” Chairperson BISP said, “The program is also working for better health and development of infants and their mothers of poor families.”
She said, “BISP is also providing educational scholarships to underprivileged children of the society, adding, scholarships have led to an increase in the enrollment of children in schools.”
Shazia said that “I am grateful to World Bank, GIZ, Engineering Development Board (EDB), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners for their financial and technical support.”
She further informed, “At present 24 percent of people in the country are being helped by BISP.” “However, a large number of people living in poverty are looking towards the government for help,” she added. Chairman NADRA while speaking on the occasion said, “BISP has established itself as a successful and transparent social protection program in the world.”
Earlier last week, The government has increased budgetary allocation of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) from 250 billion rupees to 400 billion rupees during the last one year.
This was informed at a meeting chaired by Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri in Islamabad, to review progress of Benazir Income Support Programme initiatives.
The meeting was briefed that 70 billion rupees were disbursed among 2.8 million flood-affected families at the rate of 25,000 rupees per family.
