The Secretary of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has announced the opening of bank accounts for all beneficiaries, marking a significant step toward modernization and financial inclusion.
During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Poverty Alleviation Committee, chaired by Mir Ghulam Ali, issues related to the BISP were discussed in detail.
In a briefing to the committee, BISP officials revealed that approximately 130,000 women beneficiaries currently face difficulties due to issues with thumb verification. To address this, special cards will be issued to these women in January.
Officials also highlighted challenges in shifting disbursements to bank accounts, citing the disparity in banking infrastructure. While there are 17,000 bank branches nationwide, the majority are located in urban areas, whereas most BISP beneficiaries reside in rural regions. To mitigate this issue, officials suggested continuing cash disbursements through point-of-sale agents.
Committee Chairman Mir Ghulam Ali emphasized the importance of automation in ensuring transparency, stating, “Wherever there is human involvement, issues arise. The BISP system should be fully automated.”
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The Secretary of BISP outlined the initiative to open bank accounts for all beneficiaries, which will allow them to withdraw funds directly from bank branches. He added, “This is a significant achievement. We are launching a pilot project in urban areas for three months to test the new system. Our goal is to enable beneficiaries to withdraw their funds from any bank across the country.”
The new approach aims to enhance convenience and reduce dependency on manual processes, ensuring greater transparency and accessibility for BISP beneficiaries.
