Relief package will benefit over 12 million families through digital payments
Prime Minister unveils 38 billion rupees Ramadan relief package. PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday unveiled a relief package worth Rs 38 billion for the upcoming holy month of Ramazan, which will benefit over 12 million families through digital payments.
Addressing the ceremony, the Prime Minister said the old distribution system was abolished last year as the items provided to deserving families under the system were of poor quality and people had to queue, compromising their self-esteem.
He said with the introduction of a digital system, direct cash payments were made last year to deserving families under a new cashless mechanism.
The prime minister added that a third-party audit of the Rs20 billion allocated for the relief package the previous year found that the distribution mechanism was very transparent and free of corruption.
The Prime Minister said that, based on the experience of previous years, the package would be distributed this year with renewed commitment and improvements. He added that each deserving family would now receive an increased amount of Rs13,000.
He said a total of Rs 38 billion would be distributed through digital wallets and banking services across the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, which would involve significant efforts in terms of scale and implementation.
Read: Ramazan set to begin on February 19, says Suparco
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Security Syed Imran Ahmad Shah said that Rs 10 billion had also been allocated to those already benefiting from the scheme.
He said digital banking and a cashless economy had not only improved transparency but also saved time and dignity for the public.
Benazir Income Support Program Secretary Aamer Ali Ahmad said it would be a historic relief package as the government would roll out a comprehensive program based on compassion and empathy in line with the spirit of the holy month.
A total of Rs 38 billion had been earmarked for the relief package, benefiting over 12 million families and helping around 36 million people, he added.
He said the State Bank of Pakistan had also issued a framework for distribution of the package, adding that a helpline (9999), mobile application and portal had been set up for assistance.
