BISP - Largest Aid Programme to Alleviate Poverty In Pakistan

      

" I was living my life in extreme poverty. BISP became my savior. My children are able to receive a formal education. "
- BISP beneficiary

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) also referred to as the National Cash Transfer Programme was launched in 2008 by Pakistan's People's Party(PPP) in tribute to the widow of president Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated in 2007. BISP also empowers the women of the households with cash transfers. It aims to eradicate poverty and boost the country's economic growth. Pakistan's poor economic growth had an adverse effect on the people who were living below the poverty line. Therefore, Benazir Income Support Programme was initiated to target 15% of Pakistan's population that was living in extreme poverty conditions.

BISP was instigated to elevate the status of the marginalized and underprivileged sections of the society targeting the 149 districts in Pakistan. Its primary objective was to meet the primary goals of the country by providing aid to chronically poor families. One of the objectives of this was to empower women therefore the quarterly transfer is paid directly to the female head of the family aiming to elevate the effects of food price inflation and other unexpected cost increases on the poorest and vulnerable households. Benazir income support program is the largest aid program. Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are among the provinces that have implemented the Benazir income support program. The program also works in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Federal Government and Islamabad capital territory.

Different Phases in BISP

Parliamentarian Phase - Phase 1

There was no accurate data for identifying disadvantaged and vulnerable persons in the country when the Benazir Income Support Programme, UCT program began in July 2008 so what ways was referred to as Phase1 were of targeting the duty of identifying potential and the capable best recipient was left to the parliamentarians regardless of Party membership and an equal number of application forms were sent to parliamentarians (8000 forms to each member of the National Assembly and Senate and thousand forms to each member of the Provincial Assemblies). The forms were checked against the NADRA database. 2.2 million families were judged to be eligible for cash transfers out of the total 4.2 million forms received. a total of rupees 20 6.6 billion was dispersed via this targeting mechanism.

Poverty Scorecard Survey - Phase 2

The first of its type in South Asia, a nationwide poverty scorecard service survey allowed BISP to identify eligible families by using a proxy means test (PMT) to evaluate the household's welfare status on a scale of 0 to 100. The study, which was undertaken by independent businesses engaged through a competitive bidding procedure, began in October 2010 and was completed across Pakistan, with the exception of two FATA agencies, North and South Waziristan.

27 million households have been covered under a nationwide poverty scorecard survey that constituted 150.5 million people across the country. The estimated population during 2010 was 17 7.94 million which implies the coverage of the survey is around 85%. Area-wise coverage statistics show that 14.8 1 million households in Punjab 6.6 million in 3.6 million in kpk and 1.1 million in Balochistan. in a JK around 0.58 million, in GB 0.1 5 million and Fata 0.40 Million are covered. The highest coverage was in GB followed by AJK, and Punjab.

Payments Distribution Mechanism

A reliable and transparent payment mechanism is required for the program's successful execution. BISP tried several various money distribution systems. There are now 5 payment disbursement techniques in use
1. Pakistan Post Money Orders 2. Smart Card Payment Dispersal System 3. Mobile Banking System 4. Debit Card System 5. Biometric Verification System                  .      

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for cash payments under BISP, families must earn less than Rs 6,000 per month; equivalent to $67.Further eligibility requirements stipulate that:

• Families must have a female applicant holding a valid ID card

• An individual applicant must be a widowed or divorced female without male family members

• Eligible families include those with physically or mentally disabled individuals

Families deemed ineligible for cash payments through BISP include those with:

• Members employed by the Pakistani government, army, or any other government-affiliated agency

• Members drawing a pension or receiving post-retirement benefits from the government

• Family members owning more than 3 acres of farmland or more than 80 square yards of residential land

• Members receiving income from other sources

• Members holding a machine-readable passport

• Members with a National Identity Card for Overseas citizens.

• 

The world bank has also recognized BISP among the top 4 protection interventions globally in terms of the people covered and aided. It is clearly evident that Benazir Income Support Programme has linked itself with the SDGs like ending poverty, ensuring the inclusive and equitable quality of education, achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, and reducing inequality within and among countries. It has been very clear that the impact assessment of this program, it has successfully resulted in establishing the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER), empowerment of women, improved transparency and efficiency of the program, advancement of human capital development through implementation of Co responsibility Cash Transfers (CCT) close program. The success of the program shows that three different political parties (PPP, PML-N, and PTI) have taken this aid program forward to eradicate poverty and help people live a better quality of life and are still working to make this initiative sustainable in the future.

 Group Members
 
 Bs 6th (Gpp)
Gul Rukh Khan  - Raja Talal Satti - Muzammil Yasin - Zeeshan Ali