Impact evaluation: BISP report shows 7% decline in poverty
Report is based on a study by Oxford Policy Management
The government has increased the amount for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) from Rs97 billion for fiscal year 2014-15 to Rs102 billion for 2015-16. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
There has been a 7% drop in poverty, 3% decline in poverty gap and 10 % rise in school enrollment in Pakistan during the past few years. This improvement is higher than the international average, says the Benazir Income Support Programme’s (BISP) third impact evaluation report.
The report, based on a study by the Oxford Policy Management (OPM), was launched on Tuesday by President Mamnoon Husain at a ceremony in the federal capital.
According to the report, the BISP has reduced poverty rate by 7% points in terms of Food Energy Intake (FEI) poverty line and the poverty gap by 3% points in terms of Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) poverty line.
The report also indicates a reduction in the proportion of beneficiary households that were Multi-Dimensional Poor in 2013. Proportion of households that were categorised as severely Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) poor also reduced from 31% to 23% in 2016.
Disclosing main findings of the report, the OPM Country Representative Sean Oleary said that BISP has induced a net increase of Rs187 in per adult monthly consumption expenditure whereas the per adult equivalent monthly food consumption increased by Rs69 driven by high quality protein.
School enrolment
The report says school attendance deprivation on the MPI indicator has reduced from 56% in 2013 to 49% in 2016 due to BISP Waseela-e-Taleem, a conditional cash transfer of Rs750 per quarter for a child enrolled in school with at least 70% attendance.
Around 1.3 million primary school children have been enrolled in the programme to date.
Addressing participants at the report’s launching ceremony, the BISP Patron-In-Chief – President Mamnoon Hussain – said the BISP has a key role in reforming social protection system in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2017.
There has been a 7% drop in poverty, 3% decline in poverty gap and 10 % rise in school enrollment in Pakistan during the past few years. This improvement is higher than the international average, says the Benazir Income Support Programme’s (BISP) third impact evaluation report.
The report, based on a study by the Oxford Policy Management (OPM), was launched on Tuesday by President Mamnoon Husain at a ceremony in the federal capital.
According to the report, the BISP has reduced poverty rate by 7% points in terms of Food Energy Intake (FEI) poverty line and the poverty gap by 3% points in terms of Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) poverty line.
The report also indicates a reduction in the proportion of beneficiary households that were Multi-Dimensional Poor in 2013. Proportion of households that were categorised as severely Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) poor also reduced from 31% to 23% in 2016.
Disclosing main findings of the report, the OPM Country Representative Sean Oleary said that BISP has induced a net increase of Rs187 in per adult monthly consumption expenditure whereas the per adult equivalent monthly food consumption increased by Rs69 driven by high quality protein.
School enrolment
The report says school attendance deprivation on the MPI indicator has reduced from 56% in 2013 to 49% in 2016 due to BISP Waseela-e-Taleem, a conditional cash transfer of Rs750 per quarter for a child enrolled in school with at least 70% attendance.
Around 1.3 million primary school children have been enrolled in the programme to date.
Addressing participants at the report’s launching ceremony, the BISP Patron-In-Chief – President Mamnoon Hussain – said the BISP has a key role in reforming social protection system in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2017.