ISLAMABAD: As many as 10.6 million free SIMs (Subscriber Identity Modules) would be distributed to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries nationwide under the Social Protection Wallet, which is claimed to be the largest SIM-based financial access initiative in Pakistan’s history.
In this context, a high-level meeting at the BISP headquarters was held on Wednesday to review the ongoing distribution of these SIMs.
Poverty Alleviation Minister Imran Shah and Chairperson of the BISP Senator Rubina Khalid jointly chaired the meeting.
Secretary of the BISP Amer Ali Ahmad and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.
The BISP officials briefed the meeting that the pilot phase of the Social Protection Wallet initiative received a strong response with 22,000 free SIMs distributed countrywide in two days, since the project’s pilot launch earlier on Monday “This is one of the largest global exercises in terms of women’s empowerment, financial inclusion, and digital transformation,” the officials briefed the meeting.
The Social Protection Wallet is a key reform initiative aimed at enhancing transparency and financial inclusion for BISP beneficiaries. With the support of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), each BISP beneficiary will now have an individual bank account with full interoperability, allowing withdrawals from any partner bank’s channel, significantly enhancing convenience and financial access, the briefing suggested, adding that this beneficiary-centric initiative will promote financial inclusion, improve transparency, and minimise the risk of fraud.
According to the data issued by BISP, under the phased rollout of the Social Protection Wallet, the project’s phase-1 began on 17 November across 41 districts through BISP’s Dynamic Registry Centres, where beneficiaries are being issued free SIMs to activate their Social Protection Wallets.
The second phase will begin on 24 November in 53 districts using a campsite model with at least one designated site per tehsil, the data suggests.
Moreover, phase-III will start on 1 December in 52 districts where a minimum of two campsites will be established in each tehsil to serve beneficiaries.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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