After inception of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the annual ratio of women getting registered for Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) stands doubled that reflects enhanced awareness about their right to citizenship.
Earlier, the average registration of the women was recorded at 2.5 million per annum but after introduction of financial incentives by the BISP, the ratio has been surged to five million, an official of BISP told APP.
A total of almost 24 million adult women had CNICs in the country till June 2008 but due to the various initiatives announced by BISP, this figure has reached to 34 million during last three years that goes with the government policy of women empowerment.
BISP has provided financial assistance to more than three million marginalized women so far and taking steps for their social empowerment. The number beneficiaries being registered under nation-wide poverty survey will cross the five million mark by the end of June this year, the official said.
BISP providing immediate relief to the poor families has disbursed an amount of approximately Rs 70 billion among four million poor families including IDPs, flood affectees and bomb blast victims across the country.
The programme tackling income inequality in the society has certainly effected the purchasing power of poor families positively and caused an influx of Rs 63 billion in the market, generating economic activity in the market, the official informed.
The first-ever nation-wide poverty census started in October last year is providing equal opportunity to every citizen who is holding CNIC to get registered with BISP regardless of caste, creed and religion.
More than 70 per cent of the survey ensuring objectivity and using international best practices to minimise inclusion and exclusion errors has been completed in the country, the official informed.
For making the cash transfer system transparent, Benazir Smart Cards were introduced in four test phase districts; Mianwali, Mirpurkhas, Multan and Sanghar.
A total sum of Rs 1.07 billion has been disbursed to beneficiary families through smart cards and so far 172,751 cards have been distributed, the official said.
BISP has also introduced Mobile Phone Banking for the first time for transparent transfer of BISP benefits to the poorest of the poor, which would further eliminate any human involvement in disbursement of cash to the deserving.
Free Mobile phones are being distributed among 1,92,000 registered beneficiaries in four districts; Larkana, Layyah, Battagram and Barkhan.
In first phase of the programme, the cash grant of Rs 54 billion were disbursed among 2.2 million beneficiary families were identified through parliamentarians. Whereas, Rs 6.4 billion has so far been disbursed among 386,174 eligible families country wide as a result of identification through ongoing nation-wide poverty survey, which is the second phase of the programme.
'Waseela-e-Haq' initiative of BISP, which offers Rs 300,000 long-term interest free loan, is basically designed to promote self-employment among women beneficiaries or their nominees to improve their livelihood.
For selection of families, 17 Waseela-e-Haq draws have taken place and instalments have been disbursed to the beneficiaries. So far, 3,914 beneficiary families have been declared eligible to receive this returnable interest free financial assistance, while 1,316 of them have completed training to initiate their businesses under the programme. Moreover, 747 families have received first instalment of the financial assistance as well.
'Waseela-e-Rozgar' initiative, aims to empower a female beneficiary or her nominee to become economically independent through acquiring demand-driven vocational skill and technical education.
The training has already been started in Karak, Bannu and Batagram districts and planned to be extended later to all districts of the country. The target is to provide vocational and technical training to 1,50,000 beneficiary families in the period of one year.
'Waseela-e-Sehet' initiative has two further sub-components including Life Insurance Scheme and Health Insurance.
Around one million surveyed families have already entitled for life insurance and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan has been taken onboard in this regard.
In case of death of the bread earner of the beneficiary's family, the family will receive an amount of Rs 1,00,000 within 50 days of the death.
BISP is all set to launch Health Insurance through national/international health insurance companies, initially in the selected districts where poverty survey has already been completed.
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