F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Minister for State and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Ms. Marvi Memon has stated that Government of Pakistan has empowered the females in the country by providing direct support to the female heads of families through its Social safety net program, BISP. She was representing Pakistan at Conference on Social Protection and Emergency Safety Net Response was arranged by World Bank at Frankfurt (Germany) from 19th to 22nd February 2018. Delegates from 70 countries attended the workshop and shared their experiences on social protection. She added that BISP has also been appreciated by Government of United Kingdom where BISP was awarded Democracy Award.
Ms Marvi Memon stated that BISP is managing a social protection program for 5.4 Million families living below the poverty line and also provides extended support to the beneficiaries’ families. She stated that BISP has the capacity to serve the poor effectively and efficiently with an infrastructure of 450 functional offices and a beneficiary database based on Socio Economic Registry which includes beneficiary biometrics. The Socio Economic data base of the citizen’s of Pakistan is being updated to develop the capacity of advanced targeting the vulnerable families including the poor, female headed households and families with disable members, she added.
Chairperson BISP also highlighted the efforts of Government of Pakistan in addressing the emergency needs of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) and the steps taken for their rehabilitation by providing housing damage compensation to the affected families. She stated that Pakistan is among the top ten countries adversely impacted due to climate change and also has large number of TDPs due to militancy crises in FATA, and the world’s largest number of refugees who are being supported by the Government, she added.
She further informed the participants that in order to address the catastrophic events, a National Disaster Response Action Plan (NDRAP) was developed by Government of Pakistan which guides country’s adaptive safety net model on natural and man-made disastrous. This helps the Government to respond quickly to any disaster and address the needs of the affected population. Pakistan has been appreciated in handling refugees. In future both BISP and NADRA enter into partnership for effective shock responsiveness.
Vice President World Bank, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Germany, Minister for Social Protection Egypt and Member from Government of Pakistan also addressed the forum.
