-Launches Sehat Sahulat programme in KP
-Vows simplification of tax forms meant for individuals, companies particularly SMEs
-Approves digital bank account facility for overseas Pakistanis
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said the pro-people measures like extension of health insurance facility to entire population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, manifested that Pakistan was on the course to become an Islamic welfare state.
Addressing the agreement signing ceremony here between the KP government and State Life Insurance Corporation, the prime minister said any country taking the responsibility of its people would be called a civilized state.
Under the agreement, an annual health insurance cover of Rs 1 million each would be provided to around six million families of the province enabling the whole 40 million population to avail free medical treatment at over 250 public and private hospitals across the country.
KP Health Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah and SLIC Chairman Dr Riaz Ahmed Memon signed the agreement while the prime minister along with KP Governor Shah Farman and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan witnessed the ceremony.
Federal ministers Pervaiz Khattak, Asad Umar, Ali Amin Gandapur and Murad Saeed, Special Assistants to the PM Lt Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa and Shahbaz Gill, provincial cabinet members and senior officials attended the ceremony.
The prime minister congratulated the KP government for taking the remarkable initiative, which, he believed, would also compel other federating units to follow the suit consequent to the possible public pressure.
He said he would ask the Punjab and Balochistan governments too to provide health insurance cover to their entire population which would ultimately put the opposition-led Sindh government under pressure to extend the facility to its people.
He said no service could match supporting a cash-starved poor family having a member with a serious disease. The illness was among the top factors to push a stable family down below the poverty line, he added, recalling his difficult experience of getting treated her cancer patient mother. The prime minister said the launch of Sehat Insaf Card for the entire population by the KP government amidst the financial constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic was highly laudable. He said besides benefiting the people, the massive health insurance cover would also beget competitive environment to help improve the service delivery at public and private hospitals.
He said the government had already incenitivised the health sector by allowing duty free import of medical equipment, besides announcing reduced prices for the evacuee properties to establish hospitals and educational institutions. The prime minister asked the KP government to provide Sehat Insaf Card to the people instead of using the national identity card for the purpose as it would help compilation of data and discourage the pilferage. In his remarks, KP Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra said the provincial government would spend Rs 18 billion to provide health insurance facility to entire 40 million population across all 35 districts. He said the six-phased programme would complete by January 31, 2021.
The minister said of Rs 1 million cover, Rs 200,000 had been specified for emergency, maternity services, fracture and general surgery; Rs 400,000 for cardiovascular, diabetes, kidney, basic cancer and neurological diseases; and the rest Rs 400,000 for cancer, chemotherapy, kidney transplant, accident and emergency.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday directed the Federal Board of Revenue to specially focus the automation of tax fixation, collection and refund processes. Chairing a meeting to review the ongoing reforms process in FBR, the prime minister called for prioritizing the simplification of the tax forms meant for individuals, companies particularly the SMEs.
Federal ministers Hammad Azhar, Senator Shibli Faraz, Asad Umar, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razzak Dawood, SAPM Lt. Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa and senior officers attended the meeting.
The prime minister said the promotion of tax culture, facilitation of taxpayers, addressing the reservations of business community and purging FBR of corrupt elements were the incumbent government’s priorities. He directed to set time lines for accomplishing the set targets for reforms and furnish progress report regularly. While emphasizing for effective measures to curb cross border smuggling, the prime minister directed the FBR chairman to take measures for effective monitoring at all crossing points at borders. The FBR chairman updated the prime minister about the progress in FBR reforms meant to bring about transparency, simplifying taxation, introduce automation, widening the tax base and facilitation of the business community.
Earlier, The government on Thursday approved digital bank account facility for the overseas Pakistanis to help them make payments, investments and avail all allied facilities while being abroad. Introduced on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s instruction, the Roshan Digital Account would be launched by first week of September. In a meeting held here, the prime minister was briefed about the features of the digital account and the facilities to be provided to the expatriates thereafter.
The State Bank of Pakistan would introduce the digital accounts through eight major banks which would enable the expatriates to open their accounts while being at home.
The prime minister appreciated the State Bank governor and collaborating banks for introducing the digital account and said the expatriates were the precious national asset. He said the facilitation of those taking part in the national development while living far away from their dear ones, was government’s priority.
Moreover, Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan Thursday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here. During the meeting, the adviser presented to the prime minister the calendar of third parliamentary year. They also discussed the constitutional, political and legal matters, a PM Office press release said.
All the 6.617 million residents of Swat, Buner, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Shangla, Malakand, Chitral Lower, Chitral Upper and Bajaur districts of Malakand division will start receiving free health services regardless of their financial status from October.
It will be followed by Hazara division in November, Mardan and Peshawar in December and Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan in January when the whole population of the province will receive free medical services.
The first phase of the programme was launched in 2015 that covered three per cent of the population (100,000 families in four districts) of the province.
The programme was extended to 51 per cent of the population (1,791,930 people in all districts) in the second phase in 2016. The third phase of the programme was started in 2017, covering 64 per cent of the population (3,200,000 families).
So far, more than Rs10 billion has been spent on free treatment of 250,000 people.
