ISLAMABAD: Two government-owned social safety nets, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), have joined hands to further improve and create transparency in their welfare system to serve the poor in the best possible way.

For this purpose, the two organisations have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to which Bait-ul-Mal will be given access to use BISP data prepared for identifying the deserving people. Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal will be connected with the National Socioeconomic Registry (NSER) system of BISP, and the field staff of the former will also be able to conduct surveys to identify eligible individuals when necessary, using tabs directly linked with NSER data, PBM official Javed Iqbal Chaudhary told this reporter here on Sunday.

It is important to mention here that, at present, PBM provides financial assistance to needy individuals and also patients with different diseases. And for this purpose, PBM field staff conducts manual inspections to provide the required assistance.

“After this agreement, PBM will be able to check eligibility and authenticity of the deserving people by using the BISP data,” the official said.

It is important to note that the Benazir Income Support Programme has organised data on individuals living below the poverty line through third-party surveys nationwide, which will now be accessible to Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal under this agreement. This will enable really deserving citizens to receive assistance to fulfil their basic needs.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2023