Social security benefits to be extended to capital’s residents. DESIGN: FAIZAN DAWOOD.
The city administration and the Ministry of Planning and Development on Monday agreed to formulate a policy on social protection to extend social security benefits to the capital’s residents.
A meeting was held in this regard in which it was decided that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration would bring all social protection initiatives under the ambit of the social protection policy to be formulated after consultation with stakeholders.
The meeting was attended by officials of the planning commission and ICT officials, including Islamabad Chief Commissioner Jawad Paul and ICT Development and Finance Director Rana Akbar Hayat. Paul said the draft of the memorandum of understanding on social protection in the capital would be forwarded to the ministry of interior for approval.
According to an official, the ministry and the ICT administration will collaborate in developing strategies to implement the policy in the federal capital. The planning ministry will develop a national framework for social protection based on provincial social protection policies and assist the ICT administration in developing a monitoring system through the Social Safety Net Project, said an official.
The official said that the project was part of the Benazir Income Support Programme. The government has decided to extend the facility to the capital’s residents.
Participants were informed that the planning will provide technical assistance to provincial governments in developing social protection policies. The official said the objective was to help develop coherent provincial social protection policies and framework at the national level for social protection. The second is to help federal and provincial governments design an institutional and legal framework for the execution of social protection policies. The World Bank has extended support to the government for the new project to strengthen the administration and performance of the country’s safety net.
The project consists of four main components which include establishing a national targeting system, strengthening safety net operations, enhancing safety net programme management, accountability and evaluation and developing the social protection policy and strategy monitoring. All four components are designed to enhance the operation and management of a nationwide, effective and transparent safety net system for the poor.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2013.
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