Knowledge-sharing: World Bank offers support to BISP

Govt committed to expanding programme to maximum people, says Enver Baig.

World Bank (WB) representatives have offered full support to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in designing a setup to improve coordination between the federal government and the federating units through improved knowledge sharing mechanisms.

The assurance came at a meeting between BISP Chairman Enver Baig, World Centre for Sustainable Development Director Dr Romulo Paes de Sousa, WB Senior Specialist Yasuhiko Matsuda and WB Senior Social Protection Specialist Iftikhar Malik, said a press release issued here on Wednesday.



The WB representatives also proposed to conduct a study to help people have improved access to basic services such as health and education and BISP beneficiaries through cash transfer programmes.

Baig said that any proposal for the benefit of the poorest segment of Pakistani society will be lauded under the programme scope.

He said that the BISP was venturing into a new era where beneficiaries will not only benefit from cash transfer schemes, but also from vocational and technical trainings.

He also commended the bank’s efforts in assisting the BISP in reaching the marginalised communities.

Dr de Sousa lauded BISP’s services to uplift the most vulnerable sections of society. The delegation informed the BISP chairman that Nigeria and Ghana were looking forward to replicating the BISP model in their respective countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2014.