ISLAMABAD:The first annual three-day National Social Protection Conference being organized by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) started on Monday.
The 3-day conference is being organized with the support of German Cooperation Organization GIZ at Murree. It will conclude on May 10, 2023. The inaugural session of the conference was presided over by the Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson BISP, Ms Shazia Marri.
The conference brought together social protection experts, representatives of international organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss various social protection initiatives and programmes in Pakistan.
The World Bank representative and German Ambassador also addressed the conference via video-link. During the opening session, Ms Shazia Marri highlighted the importance of the BISP in providing financial assistance to the marginalized families in Pakistan.
She also mentioned that BISP is contributing towards the better health of infants and their mothers belonging from poor households. Moreover, it is also providing educational stipend to needy children, which resulted in an increase in the enrollment of children in schools.
Benazir Income Support Programme continues to be a beacon of hope for millions of underprivileged families across the country, she added. She expressed her gratitude to the World Bank, GIZ, ADB, UNICEF, and other development partners for their financial and technical assistance.
She informed that BISP is providing financial support to nine million poorest families, which is around 24% of the total population in Pakistan. She mentioned that despite these effort there is still exists a huge gap and large number of people suffering from poverty are still looking towards the government for financial assistance.
The Chairman NADRA, along with representatives of other international organizations, also participated in the conference. He commended Benazir Income Support Programme for proving itself as a successful and transparent social protection programme in the world.
