ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League (N) announced that the government would continue Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and intends to make it more targeted for benefiting vulnerable segments of the society.
Quoting an on record statement of PML (N) leader Ashan Iqbal, a spokesman of BISP said here on Tuesday, "PML (N) was also in favor of this initiative", adding, the up coming government intends to change name of the program as `Pakistan Income Support Program'.
He further informed that when BISP was planned, PML (N) was coalition partner of the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarian and the initiative was taken with the objective to provide financial assistance as well as social protection and safety net to economically distressed individuals and families.
The spokesman further said BISP was launched after unanimous passage of act from both houses of previous parliament so doubts of people regarding continuity of the program are baseless.
He further, informed that conducting a poverty survey is one of the major achievements of the program. Based on the survey, BISP is providing targeted subsidies to all its beneficiaries, which was unprecedented in the history of the country, he added.
This is also a requirement of all donor agencies and due to this BISP and its services have been recognized by international institutions including UN, USAid, DFID, World Bank and others, he noted.
BISP, the spokesman said, has also introduced a graduation program, which is based on a number of initiatives. Waseela-e-Haq program offers interest free loans to the beneficiary families, up to Rs300,000.
"The purpose of this loan is to help the beneficiaries to establish their own business and start earning their own livelihood. Once the business is established, the family graduates out of the Program", he said.
Similarly, to enable the beneficiaries to earn their own livelihood, BISP has started Waseela-e-Rozgar, which provides vocational training to the people.
He said with the support of International institutions, BISP has also started Waseela-e-Taleem initiative, which is basically a conditional cash transfer program, under which three million children of beneficiary families would be provided an additional amount to raise literacy rate and check the drop out ratio of children in the country.
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