While announcing the enhanced budgetary allocation for the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) for the next Fiscal Year 2023-24, the Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar told that Rs 450 billion have been allocated to help poorest of the poor and marginalised segments of the society.
Allocation of BISP Program in Budget 2023-24
The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) is a flagship program of the government of Pakistan to combat poverty.
In the Financial Year 2021-22, Rs 250 billion were allocated for the BISP Program but when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government took over in April 2022, it increased the BISP budget to Rs 360 billion in 2022-23.
During the outgoing Financial Year, the amount was further increased by Rs 40 billion to Rs 400 billion.
Now during the next Fiscal Year 2023-24, the federal government has proposed to provide Rs 450 billion in this regard.
Enhanced allocation of some of the important Schemes under the BISP Program are as follows:
- In the Financial Year 2023-24, under the BISP Program, 9,300,000 families will be provided with Cash Transfer Facility at Rs 8,750 per quarter.
- For which Rs 346 billion has been allocated in the budget.
- The government will also increase the rate of Cash Transfer by matching inflation.
- Ishaq Dar said that the government is aware of the hardships of the people and is taking all possible steps to provide relief to the people so they can be protected from the effects of inflation.
- Keeping inflation in mind, he added, the government increased the rate of Cash Transfer under BISP by 25 percent a few months ago and increased the BISP budget from Rs 360 billion to Rs 400 billion.
- The new rate of cash transfer stands implemented from January 01, 2023.
- The scope of the Benazir Education Scholarship Program will be increased from 6,000,000 children to about 8,300,000 with 52 percent girls.
- For this purpose, more than Rs 55 billion have been earmarked in the budget.
- 92,000 students will be given the Benazir Undergraduate Scholarship,
- For which Rs 6 billion has been allocated.
- The Benazir Development Program will continue in all districts and the number of children benefiting from the program will be increased to 1,500,000.
- For this purpose, an amount of Rs 32 billion has been allocated.
بے نظیر انکم سپورٹ پروگرام کے لیے چار سو پچاس ارب روپے مختص کرنے کی تجویز
بےنظیر تعلیمی وظائف پروگرام کا دائرہ ساٹھ لاکھ بچوں سے بڑھا کر تقریبا 83 لاکھ بچوں تک کیا جائے گا
92 ہزار طالب علموں کو بے نظیر انڈرگریجویٹ اسکالرشپ دیا جائے گا جس کے لیے چھ ارب روپے مختص کیے گئے ہیں…
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) June 9, 2023