‘BISP to expand social safety net to cover 10m families’
Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri on Tuesday said the number of families receiving financial assistance under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) would be increased from 8.9 million to 9 million by June 2023 and up to 10 million by 2024.
She said financial assistance was provided directly to women, which reflected the priorities of the BISP towards women empowerment.
According to a statement, the minister was speaking with a delegation of USAID, headed by the Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia Michael Schiffer, who called on the former at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC.
The meeting discussed various interventions being made under the umbrella of the BISP, to provide relief to the vulnerable sections of society, the statement said.
The minister said BISP has evolved into a successful model and was serving the poor without discrimination.
She highlighted that the National Social Economic Registry had enabled the government of Pakistan with a scientific database to reach out to the most deserving and marginalised strata of society in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2023.