‘Poverty alleviation top priority’

LAHORE: Minister of state and chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Marvi Memon has said that poverty alleviation is one of the top priorities of the federal government that is working on a number of development programmes for bringing poverty down.

She was talking to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) vice president Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan at the chamber. She also threw light on the economic growth of the country and also shared many milestones achieved by the present government.

Marvi said that comprehensive conceptual framework of BISP, supported by the state of the art technology and international best practices, makes it the most transparent and credible social safety system, not only in the country but in the world as well.

She said that considering the transparency and efficacy of the programme, multilateral financial institutions and international donors are providing both technical and financial support to BISP.

The LCCI VP said that BISP’s continuity shows the political maturity of the present regime and commitment with the ailing part of the society.

He said that though the stipend for BISP registered people has been increased, it is still very low. It should be increased so that poor people can cope with the economic challenges. “More people must also be registered under this programme,” he said, and added that local government setup can be used for this purpose.

He said that a number of issues must be tackled on priority, which include containing the widening gap between imports and exports.