ISLAMABAD: There is a discrepancy of Rs 6.5 million in the data on disbursements for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) - conditional and unconditional cash transfers - in the Economic Survey 2020-21 on the same page: the table shows the amount at Rs 1,118.70 billion while the text shows a disbursement ofRs1,112.20 billion.

According to figures shared in Economic Survey for outgoing financial year 2020-21, BISP, one of the 34 executing agencies of Ehsaas Programme, disbursed Rs 15.85 billion to 1.76 million beneficiaries in FY 2008-09; Rs 34.83 billion to 2.58 million beneficiaries in FY 2009-10; Rs 34.96 billion to 3.10 million beneficiaries in FY 2010-11; Rs45.88 billion to 3.68 million beneficiaries in FY 2011-12; Rs 46.47 billion to 3.75 million beneficiaries in FY 2012-13; Rs66.31 billion to 4.64 million beneficiaries in FY 2013-14; Rs 89.04 billion to 5.05 million beneficiaries in FY 2014-15; Rs 98.53 billion to 5.21 million beneficiaries in FY 2015-16; Rs 104.37 billion to 5.46 million beneficiaries in FY 2016-17; Rs 102.20 billion to 5.63 million beneficiaries in FY 2017-18; Rs 108.60 billion to 5.78 million beneficiaries in FY 2018-19; Rs 232.37 billion to 14.40 million beneficiaries in FY 2018-19 and Rs 139.29 billion to 6.78 million beneficiaries in outgoing FY 2020-21 ( till May 31, 2021).

Economic Survey reveals that Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) disbursed an amount of Rs 2,640.09 million to its partner organisations for various programmes funded by donors and PPAF’s own resources during FY2020-21 (from July 2020 to March 2021).

Out of this amount, Rs 391.06 were disbursed under the head of Institutional Development/Social Mobilization(ID/SM); Rs 1,673.92 million under Livelihood Enhancement and Protection (LEP); Rs 540.06 million under Water and Infrastructure (W&I) and Rs 35.05 million under Education, Health and Nutrition (EHN).

During FY2020-21 (July 2020 to March 2021), an amount of Rs 6.105 billion was allocated to Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) for implementation of different schemes.

Through Individual Financial Assistance (IFA), a sizeable number of poor, widows, destitute and orphans were supported for medical treatment, education and general assistance. From July 2020 to March 2021, an amount of Rs 1.8 billion was disbursed for this purpose, says the Economic Survey.

In addition, an amount of Rs 252.884 million was utilized up to March2021 for the establishment of Women Empowerment Centres (WECs) by PBM.

Under the umbrella of Ehsaas, PBM spent an amount of Rs 437.985 million from July 2020 to March 2021to establish National Centres for Rehabilitation of Child Labour. Children (male and female) between the ages of 5-6 years weaned away from hazardous labour and enrolled in these centres with free provision of uniform, books and stationery federal government claims.

Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) collected Zakat of Rs 7929.160 million in FY2020-21 and distributed among provinces and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in accordance with Zakat distribution formula approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI), according to Economic Survey for FY 2020-21.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021