BISP beneficiaries to get Rs9,000 from today

Minister urges recipients to claim educational stipends as well

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri on Sunday said that the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will start getting the increased amount of Rs9,000 from Monday (today).

The federal minister, who also serves as the chairperson of the programmme, said in a statement that the government has increased the support amount by 25 per cent, taking it to Rs9,000 per family, for the fourth quarter of the ongoing fiscal year.

She said that the amount will be issued to 9 million beneficiaries, adding that for the convenience of the people, these stipends will be issued from 1,559 campsites that have been specially established for the people.

Shazia said that the beneficiaries should receive the full amount allocated for them and they should claim its receipt as well.

She further said that along with this, they have also released the amount for the January to March installment of the educational scholarships. She added that mothers of children with more than 70 percent attendance can claim this stipend.

The BISP is a flagship programme of the government and implements various schemes for the welfare of the downtrodden segments of society.

Earlier this month, the federal government increased the programme’s budget by 25 per cent to Rs450 billion as compared to the outgoing year's allocation of Rs360 billion.

The government had already increased the budget allocated for the programme to Rs400 billion during the outgoing fiscal year, reflecting an increase of 12.5 percent.

During the fiscal year 2023-24, 9.3 million families would be provided quarterly assistance. The scope of Benazir Education Stipends was also increased from six million children (52 per cent girls) beneficiaries to 8.3 million children with an allocation of Rs55 billion.

As many as 92,000 students would be given Benazir Undergraduate Scholarships through Rs6 billion while the number of Benazir Nashonuma programme beneficiaries was increased up to 1.5 million through Rs32 billion.

A total of Rs35 billion had been allocated for providing targeted subsidy to deserving people on rice, sugar, pulses and ghee.

The government had also withdrawn 10 per cent regulatory duty on the import of second-hand clothes, which are purchased by low-income people most of the time.

A new micro deposits scheme would be started from July 1, 2023, for low-income groups through the National Savings Centres (NSC) with more profit ratio. The facility for opening digital accounts would also be available for the users.