ISLAMABAD: Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Rubina Khalid has expressed serious concern over slow cash disbursement process for the Kafaalat beneficiaries, directing the programme authorities to take up this issue with BISP’s six partner banks, and have it resolved.

The new BISP chief recently visited a BISP campsite located in Dhoke Kashmirian Rawalpindi where several Kafaalat women beneficiaries

were said to have categorically complained to her regarding difficulties being faced in receiving the

quarterly stipend amount of 10,500 rupees, per beneficiary, mainly due to slow pace of cash disbursement in the wake of large turnout of recipients.

Correspondingly, according to BISP, the chairperson convened an urgent meeting with all the

director generals of the programme as well as the representatives of the

partner banks where she expressed serious concern over slow cash disbursement process at the payment campsites, and absence of Point of Sale (POS) agents.

She directed BISP’s senior management to address these issues urgently with the partner banks, an official statement said.

The BISP chairperson stressed the need for a swift resolution to ensure that BISP beneficiaries do not face any hardships during the disbursement process, the statement added.

“The well-being and convenience of our beneficiaries are our top priorities. It is crucial that the disbursement process is smooth and efficient, allowing beneficiaries to receive their stipends without any unnecessary delays or complications,” the statement quoted Khalid as having said in the meeting.

She also highlighted the importance of treating beneficiaries with respect and dignity.

In February, this year, BISP announced to increase, from two to six, the number of commercial banks for the payment of stipends to over nine million Kafaalat beneficiaries—in a bid to streamline the payment process.

The six banks through which the Kafaalat beneficiaries now receive stipends are: Bank Afalah, Bank of Punjab, Mobilink Microfinance Bank, Telenor Microfinance Bank, Habib Bank Limited and HBL Microfinance Bank. Previously, the quarterly stipends were paid through Bank Alfalah and Habib Bank only.

Reportedly, the difficulties involving cash disbursement coupled with cyber fraud involving Kafaalat beneficiaries are serious challenges BISP is faced with.

Last month, the BISP chairperson presided over a meeting of BISP’s Technology Wing in which she was briefed that more than 37,000 SIMs (Subscriber Identification Modules) and 170 websites involved in cyber fraud related to BISP were blocked.

However, the instances involving BISP-related cyber crime are on a reported rise with scores of citizens being reported to lose money at the hands of scammers on a daily basis.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024