The government has decided to increase cash disbursement to Rs 168 billion from Rs 120 billion under the new Ehsaas Kifalat program being unveiled on Friday (Jan 31) by Prime Minister Imran Khan with Ehsaas Kifalat card carrying the picture of Pakistan's founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

According to Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), previous safety net initiatives under BISP were mired in politicization because of the image of political figures, initially with Benazir Bhutto's picture and later during Nawaz Sharif's government; two pictures appeared on the card - Nawaz Sharif above and Benazir Bhutto below.

A senior official stated that cash disbursement under the program would be raised to Rs 168 billion from Rs 120 billion. Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch the innovative new Kifalat program today (January 31) which will provide Rs 2,000 monthly cash payments to 7 million of the poorest women in the country.

Coming under the umbrella of Ehsaas, the Kifalat will realize the Prime Minister's longstanding commitment to 'Money for Rations' and 'One Woman, One Bank Account.'

All beneficiaries will be able to access the payments at special ATMs and bank branches and will also have the option to deposit funds into a savings account. There are major differences between the earlier BISP program and Kifalat, stated Dr Sania Nishtar.

Major changes have been made after 10 years. The survey methodology has been revised to enable ongoing identification of beneficiaries through desk registration. The earlier survey was 10 years old. Also, the payment system was 10 years old and through a new procurement process, a new payment system has been installed.

The cash transfer has been increased and the safety net Kifalat now offers digital and financial inclusion opportunity since women will have bank accounts and better access to mobile phones. "We are using data analytics to refine the list of beneficiaries and make sure that only the true deserving people have access to safety nets," added Dr Nishtar.