ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is shifting its electronic payment mechanism to biometric verification system and targets to complete this conversion countrywide by December 2017.
All the core areas of BISP, including National Socio Economic Registry (NSER), Waseela-e-Taleem (WeT) and payment modules are being lauded internationally and many countries have shown great interest in getting trainings from Pakistan. BISP, being the flagship national social safety net programme, is not only a ray of hope for the poorest of the poor in the country but is acclaiming international recognition as well. This was stated by Minister of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon referring to the international conference on social safety in Mexico, where Pakistan was the only South Asian country to be invited in recognition for its success in the area of social protection.
BISP, being one of the top five social safety nets in terms of targeting, has launched the pilot phase of resurvey aiming to become number one. Pilot phase will be followed by national roll out in March 2017 and resurvey will be completed by March 2018. Under Waseela-e-Taleem, BISP has enrolled 1.3 children in schools and targets to enroll 2 million children by December 2017.
Chairperson BISP highlighted that BISP has emerged as a success story that has the ability to brand Pakistan internationally by training social protection teams of other countries. BISP has already imparted trainings to Nigeria whereas Tanzania and Egypt have shown interest in getting trainings from Pakistan.
Memon reiterated that under a new mandate, Donor Coordination Wing of BISP, responsible for international cooperation would hold international conferences with the help of development partners for the purpose of knowledge sharing on social protection and ways to establish league of social safety nets spearheaded by BISP.
