Poverty alleviation: NA body directs ministry to ensure transparency in funding mechanisms

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety has directed the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation to ensure transparency in funding mechanisms and performance oversight of its subsidiary organisations.

The meeting was convened to scrutinize the administrative and financial governance of the Ministry and its attached departments here on Thursday under the Chairmanship of Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur.

The committee discussing the bureaucratic delay in the establishment of Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal’s (PBM) Women Empowerment Centre in Muzaffargarh District, expressed serious concerns and asked the ministry to resolve the matter as early as possible.

Federal Minister Syed Imran Ahmad Shah for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety assured the committee of his immediate intervention to resolve the matter expeditiously.

The Additional Secretary (AS), Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, briefed the committee that none of the Ministry’s subsidiary organizations have any projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of FY 2026-27. The AS provided a comprehensive overview of the statutory framework, including relevant legislation, rules, and ordinances governing the Ministry and its attached departments. The AS informed that the ministry was established in 2022 from the Statistics Division, the Ministry oversees key entities such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), PBM, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), and the Trust for Voluntary Organisations (TVO).

Briefing the panel on the status and operations of TVO, an official informed that the organisation continues to function on the endowment created from an initial USAID grant of USD 8 million or Rs520 million at the time, which was transferred to TVO by the government of Pakistan. TVO sustains its activities through returns on this endowment, supplemented by grants and support from international donors, including UNICEF and other agencies. The organisation primarily focuses on facilitating and empowering local and rural NGOs engaged in uplifting women and children through interventions in health, education, and poverty reduction. It extends technical and financial assistance to these NGOs, with no additional government funding received beyond the seed capital.

The committee directed the Ministry to furnish detailed funding and expenditure records for TVO over the past two years, including profit and loss statements, and specifically sought information on any involvement or activities related to Dera Ismail Khan District. The Committee also inquired about the status of the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and the Centre for Rural Economy, directing the Ministry to provide a complete update on both entities at the next meeting.

Further, the committee sought details of any government officers or officials currently serving in the Ministry’s subsidiary departments while on extraordinary leave (EOL), including their respective departments, remaining leave period, current positions, and pay scales. The Committee also requested a briefing on the status of the Pakistan Labour Council in the forthcoming meeting.

The Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety informed the Committee that PBM operates primarily on endowment funds by government of Pakistan. Meanwhile, Zakat collections are managed through banks, without direct handling of these funds by the Ministry, and highlighted PBM’s extensive outreach, noting the presence of its representatives in the country’s every district and its District Headquarter hospitals (DHQs) to facilitate beneficiary access to scholarships, health emergency funds, and financial assistance.

The Minister commended the exemplary performance of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, particularly its initiatives in Balochistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026