BISP Board approves piloting new payment model for beneficiaries

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Kafaalat beneficiaries will soon be able to receive their quarterly payments by opening accounts in the banks of their own choice.

This was decided in the 58th Board meeting of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) chaired by the Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson BISP, Shazia Marri in Karachi.

The board gave the approval to pilot a new payment model under which the cash assistance will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries through their bank accounts. The pilot of this new payment model will be introduced in four selected districts of the country.

After the success of the pilot, beneficiaries all over the country would be able to open up their accounts in banks of their choice.

The BISP board also approved the proposal of the indexation committee to increase the stipend given to the beneficiaries by 25 per cent. After the increase, the quarterly stipend will increase from Rs. 7,000 to 8,750.

The board also gave approval to a proposal of using mobile units for the registration of people in Balochistan and other remote areas where it was difficult for people to reach Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) centres. Members were of the view that Balochistan needed special attention given the geographical aspect of the province.

Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik, who was also attending the meeting, was asked to make extra efforts to help people make CNIC cards in remote areas of Balochistan.
The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Board was informed that under the new process of dynamic registration of the National Social Economic Registry (NSER), 575 centres were working in the BISP Tehsil offices throughout the country.

Further, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Board approved an internship programme for fresh graduates of universities intending to gain experience through working with the Benazir Income Support Programme.
The board members Dr Ashfaq Hassan Khan, Dr Qaisar Bengali, Sania Riffat, Secretary BISP Yusuf Khan and Secretary PA&SS, Ghufran Memon were present in the meeting, while board members Haris Ghazdar, Chairman NADRA, Additional Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Samar Ihsan, and Additional Secretary Finance (Expenditure) Aamer Mahmood attended the meeting via Zoom-link. Whereas, DG NSER/CCT Naveed Akbar presented the agenda items before the board meeting. (APP)