Ehsaas targeted subsidies

Steering body approves programme design

By Our correspondent

Islamabad : The steering committee of Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies met on Friday to approve the programme design. SAPM Senator, Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. This was the second meeting of the steering committee since its constitution by the Prime Minister in July 2021.

“Coming under the Ehsaas umbrella, the national scale targeted subsidies programme will identify beneficiaries through the Ehsaas national socioeconomic survey registry 2021. All the necessary spadework, digital structuring, and integrations are complete for the role out of the programme.

In line with Prime Minister’s instructions, the programme has specifically been designed to provide inflation relief to the poor populations”, said Dr. Sania.

“The number of people to be supported and the exact details of the amount of subsidy will be announced by the PM next week”, she further added. The members of the committee thoroughly reviewed the design contours and role out preparations for the upcoming programme. Under the federal-provincial partnership, the programme will be implemented in collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

Subsidies will be granted to beneficiary households on selected essential commodities. Ehsaas has developed a digitally enabled mobile point of sale system in partnership with NBP to serve beneficiaries through a network of Kiryana stores designated by NBP, all over the country.

Alongside, IT systems of Ehsaas and USC have also been fully integrated for the identification of Ehsaas beneficiaries. In the meeting, Dr. Sania was joined by Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Deputy Governor SBP, President National Bank of Pakistan, Managing Director Utility Stores Corporation, Chairman Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited, Secretary Poverty Alleviation, and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Secretary BISP, Secretary Industries and Production, Additional Secretary Finance, Additional Secretary Industries and

Production, and Additional Secretary PASSD were also present.

The steering committee of Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies has the mandate to oversee the design and execution of the targeted commodity subsidies programme.