Rs 51 billion released for Kafaalat Programme beneficiaries: Govt may restore Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme

ISLAMABAD: The federal government might consider restoring Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme if it has to resort to a blanket lockdown to stem the devastation unleashed by coronavirus while the government's social safety focus is presently on Ehsaas Kafaalat Programme for which Rs 51.24 billion have been released for 4.27 million female beneficiaries, Business Recorder learnt.

"The cycle of payments made under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme has been completed but you cannot say that the programme has been closed permanently. The option to restore the programme has been kept open- in case the havoc wreaked by coronavirus necessitates the urgency to launch a complete crackdown," said a senior official at Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), requesting anonymity.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, is not in favour of a complete lockdown and his government's policy is to rely on smart lockdowns-to seal those areas that witness a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.

"A complete lockdown is certainly not an option right now but you never know how things turn out in future," the official said.

The revised amount that was to be provided to 16.9 million beneficiaries under Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme was Rs 203 billion while Rs 179.22 billion were distributed among 14.82 million beneficiaries when the programme was closed last month, the source said, adding the programme was closed because the number of beneficiaries found eligible to be provided cash assistance did not exceed 14.82 million.

"This means we still have around Rs 24 billion unpaid to some two million beneficiaries. So, if required, the programme can be restored and additional funds can also be allocated to financially support the downtrodden segments of the society," the official said.

PM Khan launched Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme on April 1, 2020, to provide financial assistance to labour that was adversely affected by the lockdown imposed by the federal and provincial governments to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Previously, the federal government had earmarked Rs 144 billion under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme to provide one-time financial cash assistance of Rs 12,000 each to 12 million beneficiaries whose livelihoods were adversely affected as a result of restrictive measures taken to stem the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan. These 12 million beneficiaries were divided into three categories. However, with the inclusion of categories III-A, IV and V, the funds and beneficiaries were revised with Rs 203 billion that was to be distributed among 16.9 million beneficiaries under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.

In October this year, a joint study by United Nations (UN) and International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) declared Pakistan as one of the top ranked countries in Asia having the highest response to social protection amid COVID-19 crises. This study assessed social protection response in Asia focusing on an extensive mapping and overview of how social protection measures were deployed by the countries in Asia and the Pacific region in the response to the COVID-19 crisis. The study revealed that Pakistan covers highest number of responses to social protection in Asia through Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.

Government officials claim, the eligible persons for Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme were identified from the most vulnerable groups in Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) through a combination of the existing socioeconomic registry maintained by Ehsaas, Short Messaging Service (SMS) registration and web-based registration with stringent verification processes. The officials say the focus of this programme was on the fastest possible delivery by leveraging existing digital capabilities particularly data analytics, biometrically enabled precision payments and data driven accountability.

Presently, sources said the government was focussing on Ehsaas Kafaalat Programme under which 4.27 million women beneficiaries were provided Rs 2,000 each month. The PM launched the payments for Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries for six months (July-December, 2020), last week. Under this programme, six-monthly payment of Rs 12,000 would be paid at once to each beneficiary for which Rs 51.24 billion have been released, source told Business Recorder. This assistance would be gradually extended to seven million women Kafaalat beneficiaries, officials said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020