Imran launches Rs1.4tr welfare programme
AIM IS TO REACH LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, BANISH POVERTY
Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday announced Rs1.4 trillion project to help families struggling to afford basic essentials and lift Pakistanis out of poverty.
He said the landmark initiative ‘Kamyab Pakistan Programme’ (KPP) will improve the living standards of the common people of Pakistan and achieve all-inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Addressing the launch ceremony, the PM said that the programmeme was launched after hectic endeavours and a detailed consultation process which included encouraging the banks to give loans to lowincome households. The programme is hailed as the first of its kind in which the banks are being connected to the lowest income segment through micro-finance institutions.
Food subsidies
He regretted that flawed policies of the past inflated inequality in the society affecting the marginalized segments of the society. He said that his government is trying to change the system to lift families out of poverty. To soften the impact of inflation on the poorest households, the government would soon announce food subsidy programmemes, he added.
Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, who envisaged the project, said the loan facility will be provided to 6 million poor households at their doorsteps. “The whole paradigm of KPP will change the lives of the underprivileged people in Pakistan over the years.”
Low-income families can secure interest-free loans of up to Rs500,000 under the project.