The government is soon going to introduce a cheap petrol scheme for the lower-income class. The plan will be available for low-income consumers at the pump of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the Excise Department, and NADRA. In order to participate in the scheme, low-income consumers will need to receive a code via SMS. This scheme will be introduced as soon as sufficient funds are allocated. Here are some important tips to avail of the cheap petrol scheme.
Benazir Debit Card
In a bid to make life easier for the poor, the BISP has begun rolling out payments to its beneficiaries through the Benazir Debit Card, a new form of payment that works like an ATM card. This new form of payment allows the beneficiary to withdraw his monthly installments from an ATM. The BISP has distributed these debit cards to disadvantaged families in different districts in the country. However, illiterate beneficiaries often cannot use them, and middlemen charge high commissions on the cards, making the process more complex and difficult than it should be.
The Benazir Income Support Program is an initiative of the Government of Pakistan designed to counter the detrimental effects of food shortages, inflation, and low-wage jobs. The program disbursed more than $1 billion in cash grants to 3.5 million women in Pakistan, with the goal of including 5.5 million beneficiaries by 2016. The project was initially funded through Pakistan Post branches, but has since incorporated modern payment technologies.
Since its launch, the BISP has opened offices in 124 districts across Pakistan, and has signed agreements with five private banks to roll out the program. Beneficiaries can withdraw funds from biometric ATMs, branches, and agents, and can use doorstep delivery facilities to receive their money. In addition, the new system offers integrated complaint management and reconciliation online. Furthermore, it encourages banks to push payments to beneficiaries instead of waiting for them to visit the bank.
The BISP is being expanded to include more poor families and people with disabilities. The program has increased its reach by enabling 70% of beneficiaries to receive payments through technology instead of traditional methods like money orders. Payments through the BISP debit card will be available to the poorest of the poor. And because the program is now being implemented at the same time as the National Health Insurance Program (NHIAP), BISP is expected to increase its benefits.
Targeted assistance
The government has proposed to withdraw the fuel subsidy from the country’s streets but has been warned against populist measures that could increase inflation. Instead, the government can replace the subsidy with targeted assistance through the Benazir Income Support Program and fiscal prudence. Its executives have also suggested that the government should consider implementing measures to reduce the pressure on the forex reserves. Hence, these recommendations are in line with the views of experts and government officials.
In 2010, the BISP introduced a new payment system called the Benazir Smart Card. The card works like an ATM and enables the beneficiary to withdraw installments. The BISP has partnered with UBL as a partner bank for the scheme. Initially, beneficiaries had to collect payment themselves and sign the receipt. Now, more than a year after the program’s launch, about Rs. 12896 million has been disbursed via the Smart Card.
Cash transfers
The BISP is a public-private partnership, which began disbursing its funds to beneficiaries in 2008. A pilot with NADRA, Banks and Telecoms and the private sector was carried out in 2009. In 2012, the BISP adopted a debit card. Today, 94% of BISP beneficiary payments are made through debit cards. However, the current distribution model and the poor infrastructure have resulted in frequent complaints regarding service quality and a lack of clarity in the current contracts.
BISP is a cash transfer program that is intended to help poor families make ends meet and avoid starvation. BISP recipients have to enroll their children in primary school in order to receive cash transfers. It is also a government-sponsored program for poor families. Since its inception, BISP has reached nearly 20 million people, which is significantly higher than any other program of this kind in the world.
The BISP has changed the livelihood strategies of beneficiary households. The proportion of working age men engaged in casual work has decreased, and the proportion of self-employed men has increased. These changes may be helping the government support less vulnerable livelihood strategies. Furthermore, the program has decreased the percentage of boys engaged in child labour and promoted more productive methods of income generation. These results suggest that the BISP is supporting less-vulnerable livelihood strategies, such as self-employment and informal work.
The BISP is funded by the UK government and has helped 34 million people in Pakistan since 2008. It has also strengthened institutional development and controls of program administration. As of November 2016, it had helped over six million families to access the cash transfers they need. And the government of Pakistan wanted to test the effectiveness of the scheme and ensure that every eligible woman was receiving the benefits she is entitled to. It conducted spot checks in Pakistan from November 2013 to November 2016, and the results are in.
Cheap petrol
Pakistan’s government is preparing a new scheme called the “Cheap Petrol Card” for low-income groups. The scheme aims to provide the poor with cheaper petrol at the pumps of Pakistan State Oil (PSO). The users will receive a code through SMS along with their motorcycle number and identity card, according to government sources. The scheme is expected to begin in the coming weeks once funds are allocated to the government’s low-income relief program.
UK aid has funded the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for the past five years, empowering more than 34 million people in Pakistan. By making the Benazir Income Support Programme more accessible and inclusive, the UK government has contributed to the empowerment of women. These benefits are intended to help families sustain themselves and their children. Using the Cheap Petrol Card, these women can now save money for essential household expenditures, and travel to work in style.
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