ISLAMABAD: The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) will facilitate Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) beneficiaries through a Sahulat Card to procure basic food times on subsidized rates.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqr Bokhari and EOBI Chairman Azhar Hameed, Chairman USC Zulqarnain Khan said this here, while signing an agreement with EOBI in this connection.
He said that Sahulat Card holders would procure basic food items such as flour, rice, pulses, cooking oil, and sugar from the USCs across the country.
Chairman Utility Stores Zulqarnain Ali said transparency would be ensured in processing of Sahulat Card for the EOBI employees.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari said Sahulat Card was in line with the prime minister's vision for the State of Madinah, which would benefit around eight million people.
The SAPM said under this card, concession would be provided on five essential items, which would provide relief to the EOBI employees in the difficult time of corona pandemic.
He said the EOBI's pension had also been increased from six and a half thousand to eight and a half thousand rupees.
Bukhari said under the project, the card holding EOBI pensioners and insured person would get a subsidy of about Rs1, 000 per month on five essential food items such as wheat flour, oil, rice, grains, and pulses.
He said within just 20 months of its term, the government had increased the annuity of the EOBI pensioners from Rs5, 250 to Rs8, 500, which would be further upped to Rs15, 000 till the end of its tenure.
The SAPM said the collaboration between the two organisations was meant to serve low-income people by giving them ration at the low rates.
The card holders might even get more than 10 per cent discount on some edibles out of the selected food staples.
Zulfikar Bukhari urged the EOBI registered persons to avail the card after its launch as the USC intended to add more facilities under this initiative.
He said an extensive awareness campaign would be launched on electronic, print and social media to raise awareness among the EOBI pensioners and insured persons about it to help them get maximum benefit from the opportunity.
EOBI Chairman Azhar Hameed said the "EOBI Sahulat Card" would be launched by early next month (August).
"In a first, there will be a soft launch of initiative and hundreds of people would be provided the card."
Later, the EOBI would start issuing cards to all of its beneficiaries, verified by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
The USC Chairman, Zulqarnain Ali, said the initiative was taken on the instruction of Prime Minister Imran Khan who had been a strong proponent of uplifting the living standard of the downtrodden segment of the society.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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