Women empowerment: BISP, UBER Pakistan ink MoU for 100 vehicles

ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has signed an understanding with Uber Pakistan for the creation of a large-scale economic opportunity program for BISP beneficiaries.

The understanding is focused on the creation of economic opportunities for women beneficiaries by providing them vehicles and CNG rickshaws by Uber Pakistan. This partnership will help women entrepreneurs acquire requisite skills for driving and complete associated licensing requirements for rickshaws and other modes of transport. It will also provide other training, which enhance candidates' digital literacy, operational excellence, entrepreneurship skills, and communication and customer care abilities.

The MOU was signed today at BISP headquarters in the presence of Chairperson BISP and Member of National Assembly Marvi Memon, Minister of State for Communications M. Junaid Anwar Chaudhary, and Minister of State for Industries and Production Sardar Arshad Khan Leghari.



BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon termed the understanding as a follow-up of meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and CEO of Uber Technologies Dara Khowsroshahi at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in January 2018.

Memon said, "The safety, security and dignity of BISP beneficiaries are most important to us," and added that it is an important initiative as BISP has credible data of the most vulnerable women in the society who could be provided respectable earning opportunities through this. She hoped that the partnership will help BISP beneficiaries exit the poverty trap.

Chaudhary termed it as a unique and innovative partnership while congratulating the management of BISP. He said, "It will be a game changer for rickshaw and taxi services in Pakistan," and added that the partnership should be replicated in other smaller cities if it is successful in the major cities. The minister also offered the driver's learning and licensing by Motorway Police to the beneficiaries of this partnership.

A pilot project will be conducted to test run the potential of Uber for benefit of BISP beneficiaries under this partnership.  The vehicles will be supplied without any down payment and it will include monthly target instalment of Rs8,000 for five years repayment for BISP beneficiaries. Similarly, there will be a monthly target instalment of Rs5,000-8,000 for rickshaws for five years repayment for BISP beneficiaries.



BISP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan stated that he was particularly excited by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as it would help BISP beneficiaries flourish in terms of technology as well as women empowerment.

The main focus of the partnership will be kept on the inclusion of women beneficiary drivers in the programme for women empowerment. A pilot project comprising 100 BISP beneficiaries will be launched in Karachi, Lahore Rawalpindi and Islamabad with 25 beneficiaries from each city. It will consist of asset transfer of rickshaws and cars on zero collateral and easy instalments to the selected beneficiaries.

Speaking on the occasion General Manager of UBER in Pakistan Safee Shah said, "Uber is working closely with the BISP to develop a framework for on-demand transportation technology aggregator services that will drive economic opportunities for women in Pakistan. We see BISP as a crucial partner in providing such opportunities and a key government entity in driving the sustainable economic empowerment model in Pakistan."

It will also include training of selected beneficiaries regarding road safety, security, health, and nutrition through tagging in different training agencies with the BISP beneficiaries targeted by the programme. This partnership recognizes that the adoption of technology by and low-income groups specifically women who are beneficiaries of the BISP programme and will help alleviate poverty and provide sustainable economic opportunities.