Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Sania Nishtar said that World Bank recognized Ehsaas Emergency Cash among top four social protection interventions globally in terms of number of people covered.
“Pakistan is 3rd globally in terms of percentage of population covered,” Sania Nishter said quoting the World Bank report.
World Bank said, “In Pakistan, where social insurance coverage is very low, the filters included having a public sector worker in the household, vehicle and property ownership and the amount spent on telephone bills.”
Provincial governments also implemented supportive fiscal measures from the onset of the shock, including cash grants to low-income households, tax relief, and additional health spending (including a salary increase for healthcare workers). The government of Punjab implemented a KR 10 billion cash grants program. The government of Sindh’s measures included cash grant.
The Government of Pakistan allocated Rs. 203 Billion (~USD 1.23 Billion) to deliver one-time emergency cash assistance to 15 million families at risk of extreme poverty. This represents nearly 109 million people. Each family receives Rs. 12,000 (~USD 75) for immediate subsistence.
The Economic Coordination Committee approved Rs. 75 billion among 6.2 million daily-wage earners with cash assistance for the daily wagers working in the formal industrial sector and who had been laid off because of COVID-19 outbreak. It was part of the PM’s Relief Package of Rs 200 billion. Each deserving person received Rs.12,000.
