ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: President Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday said that under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the number of beneficiary families had increased from 1.7 million to 5.5 million and disbursements from just Rs 16 billion to Rs 115 billion annually.
While addressing launching ceremony of BISP impact assessment report in Islamabad on Tuesday, the president expressed pleasure that BISP had now become one of the biggest programmes of social welfare in South Asia. He said that the government had done serious work during the last three and a half years to make the programme more effective.
The president also expressed satisfaction that under Waseel-e-Taleem programme of BISP, 1.3 million children had been registered who would now be able to equip themselves with education and skills.
Mamnoon Hussain called for expansion of BISP to far-flung areas. He also desired that programmes should be launched to ensure that the existing beneficiaries were able to stand on their own feet economically. For this purpose, he proposed initiation of training programmes for people in backward areas and locality for small businesses.
President Mamnoon expressed the confidence that BISP would secure a prominent place globally if it paid attention to these aspects. He asked BISP management to come out with proposals in this regard in the next review report so that practicable new programmes were launched to address the problem of poverty and backwardness.
While speaking on the occasion, the BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon said that financial assistance was being provided to deserving women of the country. She said that now the amount was disbursing on times which helped women empowerment.
Marvi Memon said that World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international organization were monitoring and appreciating the mechanism of BISP.
The BISP Chairperson said that the financial assistance of BISP was increasing women’s self-confidence and living standards.
