ISLAMABAD - Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar on Thursday announced that a web portal to register families under the new initiative of Ehsaas Rashan programme will open from November 8.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Sania said that Ehsaas Rashan programme will benefit 20 million families and overall 130 million people nationwide. The programme will also be available to those already registered under the Ehsaas Kafalat programme.
Sania Nishtar said that subsidy of Rs120 billion is being given under the program with 35 percent contribution from the federal government and 65 percent from the provincial governments. The SAPM however said that two provinces have confirmed their participation in the programme while confirmation from Sindh and Balochistan is awaited.
Responding to a query about the IMF reaction over Rashan programme, she said that Advisor to Prime Minister Shaukat Tarin is having discussions with IMF in this regard.
She said that IMF knows that this programme is being transparently implemented which aims to provide relief to the inflation-stricken people.
Sania Nishtar says 20m families, overall 130m people nationwide to benefit from the programme
She said that now the data of 38 million people is available and the Rashan beneficiaries will be identified with the help of the new Ehsaas National Socio Economic Registry (NSER) Survey.
The SAPM said the Ehsaas Rashan Programme will provide a subsidy of Rs1,000 per month to each of the 20 million families on the purchase of flour, pulses, ghee or cooking oil. She said that Ehsaas Rashan will cover households with a poverty score of less than 39 and an income of Rs31,000 per month.
Dr Sania said that anyone who wants to get registered in the programme must have their valid registered mobile numbers with their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC). The registered beneficiaries will be able to purchase Rashan from the designated kiryana or utility stores on 30 percent subsidy after issuance of Rashan cards to them, she explained.
The SAPM said that the list of those eligible for the programme will be displayed within three or four weeks after scrutinising process, while the kiryana stores will be registered meanwhile.
She said that Ehsaas has developed a digitally enabled mobile point of sale system in collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to serve beneficiaries through a network of kiryana stores all over the country.
Talking about the procedure, the SAPM said that kiryana merchants will require downloading the relevant app on their android phones, enter CNIC numbers of the customers and pass on the benefits after authentication from back end immediately. The customer will receive a verification code which would be entered by kiryana merchant in the app.
The Special Advisor said that kiryana merchants having a valid bank account to receive the subsidy amount from any corner of the country will be eligible to register under this programme after physical verification.
Dr Sania said the government will also give profit to the registered merchants on the subsidy amount to encourage them serve maximum people.
The SAPM said that it is estimated that 60 percent population of the country will be benefited from this programme. Dr Sania said that this is the beginning, however as soon as benefits of this programme will be extended to the people, the amount can be increased along with introducing more benefits through utilising this system.
