For the graduation of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries, a total of 165,987 direct beneficiaries or their immediate family members were provided interest-free loans, micro-finance and technical training.
Pakistan Economic Survey 2015-16 says that Akhuwat through Chief Minister's Self Employment Scheme and Prime Minister's Interest Free Loan (PMFIL) scheme has provided interest-free loans to 14,481 BISP beneficiaries.
A total of 133,285 family members of the BISP's beneficiaries also availed the micro-finance under these programmes.
The survey says the BISP is working on graduation model with relevant stakeholders and target is to achieve 100,000 micro-finance loans for the beneficiaries under the PMFIL and Chief Minister's Self Employment Schemes through Akhuwat by the end of 2016.
It says that under the National Rural Support Programme through PMFIL scheme 17,420 BISP beneficiaries had availed the facilities of micro-finance and numerous training programmes and around 801 family members of the BISP beneficiaries also benefited.
The survey says that the BISP is also in negotiations with the World Bank for a new project which will strengthen the institutional capacity of the BISP to launch updating of National Socio-Economic Registration.
The new project amounting $100 million will be phased out for four years from 2016 to 2020 and a DFID also has pledged a grant of $224 million in line with the World Bank's funding, it says.
About the BISP's major achievements, it says that over 1.5 million people have been registered out of which more than 1.1 million have been enrolled in the primary schools and it plans to increase the number to 2 million by the end of 2016.
In fiscal year 2016 (as of March 2016), the total cash transfer to the beneficiaries amounts to Rs 71.65 billion in two quarters that has been recorded highest disbursement by the BISP in a fiscal year during the last 7 years, it says. The BISP registry will also facilitate the government in using its data for targeted subsidy provision under other sectors and elimination of non-targeted subsidies, it says.
Through Individual Financial Assistance, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal disbursed an amount of Rs 1456.93 million during the period July 2015 to March 2016 among the poor, widows and orphans for medical treatment, education, rehabilitation and general assistance.
The survey says that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal plans to establish one Great Home (Old Home) at each provincial/regional headquarters. Two pilot Great Homes are functional at Lahore and Karachi for old-age citizen.
After successful implementation of the pilot phase, this scheme will be replicated for females as well. Great Home will provide basic necessities of life in a dignified manner and in a family-like environment ie boarding, lodging, food, clothing, medical, recreation etc.
During the period from July to March 2016, an amount of Rs 4.85 million has been disbursed.