Dr. Sania Nishtar briefs Prime Minster on Ehsas Emergency Cash Programme

• She said currently stalled economic activity affects daily wage earners and piece-rate workers, the most In addition, layoffs in the formal economy are pushing people below the poverty line.
• The Ehsaas Emergency Cash initiative has been designed for simple and easy rollout, using the existing at-scale digital payment capacity of the Government of Pakistan.
• People will be able to collect cash from Points of Sale (POS) of biometrically enabled branchless banking operations and biometrically enabled ATMs.

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar Wednesday briefed PM on Ehsas Emergency Cash Programme.

In a briefing Dr. Sania said that, Ehsaas Emergency Cash program has been planned in the context of the economic hardship being experienced by the vulnerable due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

She said currently stalled economic activity affects daily wage earners and piece-rate workers, the most In addition, layoffs in the formal economy are pushing people below the poverty line.

She said within this context, the Ehsaas Emergency Cash initiative has been designed for simple and easy rollout, using the existing at-scale digital payment capacity of the Government of Pakistan, which has been developed within the Poverty Alleviation Division.

She said that total Rs. 144 billion will be disbursed to the 12 million families at the rate Rs.12,000 per family however If the demand for Ehsaas Emergency Cash is higher, additional resources will be earmarked.

About Ehsaas SMS campaign Dr. Sania said that SMS campaign will be the entry point to identify these beneficiaries.

Through an aggressive communication campaign, citizens will be informed that they can send an SMS on 8171 to check their eligibility status.

If they are not identified in the database, they will be directed to contact their respective district administration for collection of money.

She said People will be able to collect cash from Points of Sale (POS) of biometrically enabled branchless banking operations and biometrically enabled ATMs.

All cash transfers will be made after biometric verification of each beneficiary through NADRA.

In addition to identification of additional beneficiaries’ provincial governments will be requested to provide open public spaces for setting up cash disbursement arrangements, security for these spaces, permission to keep retail POS agents open, management of crowds at cash disbursement points and ensuring preventive measures like facility of hand washing etc, she said.