PASSD sets up transparent payment solution

ISLAMABAD: Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) have established a robust and transparent biometric verification based payment solution to facilitate beneficiaries. According to details, Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) have signed a contract with Habib Bank Limited and Bank Alfalah for disbursement of funds to the deserving people. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said the new biometric based payment solution developed by BISP through an open and consultative process was a great step to ensure good governance, transparency and efficiency in the payment mechanism for beneficiaries.

Hiring of the new financial institutions through a transparent and open competitive bidding process was a significant development for improved service delivery and fraud prevention, she added. Dr. Nishtar said the new payment solution has been designed in line with the PM's vision of financial inclusion of poor women through one woman-one account as envisaged under the government's flagship Ehsaas Program.

It will enhance choices for the beneficiaries under Kafalat program to collect cash grants through biometric verification at branchless banking retailers, an enhanced network of biometric enabled ATMs, campsites in remote areas and biometric enabled bank branches, she added. Commenting on bidding process and lowest service charges quoted by the newly hired financial institutions, Dr. Sania said the most significant feature of the new contracts was the saving of more than Rs 2 billion in terms of bank service charges.