ISLAMABAD   -   Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmed Tarin on Tuesday, affirmed support and facilitation to Ehsaas programme and urged to replace untargeted subsidies with targeted ones to make it more sustainable in the long run. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety / Chairperson BISP Dr Sania Nishtar called on the federal minister for Finance and Revenue at the Finance Division. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood and Secretary Finance Division also participated in the meeting. Dr Sania Nishtar briefed the finance minister about working of flagship Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme regarding direct cash transfers to under-privileged women amid Covid-19 pandemic. At present, the programme provides Rs12, 000 each to more than 15 million deserving families. She also outlined the provision of subsidies for Ehsaas beneficiaries through a chain of Utility Stores outlets across Pakistan and local grocery stores. The underlying rationale is to support the under-privileged and marginalised households through targeted subsidisation policy with focus on poverty reduction and women empowerment. The finance minister commended Ehsaas programme as one of the largest social protection programmes in the world, which is critically acclaimed by the development partners including IMF, WB, and ADB. Pakistan’s landmark Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme has played a significant role in mitigating the economic hardships of the marginalised groups of the society, minister added.