BISP revamps cash transfer system to protect beneficiaries’ dignity 

ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has expanded its cash transfer mechanism, introducing a streamlined and dignified system to better serve the most vulnerable population.

The initiative aims to address long-standing issues of exploitation and inefficiency in the programme’s previous disbursement methods. 

Under the new framework, the BISP has increased its network from two to six partner banks and transitioned cash distribution to designated campsites.

These campsites offer beneficiaries safer, more controlled environments to receive their payments, ensuring dignity and reducing the risk of exploitation that was rampant at retail shops under the earlier system. 

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This shift ensures that beneficiaries receive their full payments with dignity and respect, while also reducing the possibility of exploitation.

The Ministry for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, in a report to the National Assembly, said that the move has resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in service charges paid to partner banks, saving Rs2 billion annually while enhancing facilities for beneficiaries. 

To bolster accountability and fairness, the new system integrates stricter monitoring mechanisms, facilitated by additional oversight from BISP headquarters during cash disbursements. Officials say this ensures transparency while keeping operational costs minimal. 

BISP, Pakistan’s largest cash transfer initiative, has also addressed staffing shortages by reallocating field-level monitoring responsibilities to ensure adequate oversight during payment distribution. These reforms aim to eliminate prior inefficiencies and deliver aid more effectively to low-income families. 

Despite its critical role in alleviating poverty, BISP has faced significant challenges in the past, including fraudulent beneficiary lists, political interference, and fund misappropriation.

Investigations by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have resulted in some arrests and penalties, but systemic issues persist. 

To counter these challenges, the BISP has introduced technology-based tracking systems and biometric verification, significantly improving transparency. However, experts say that sustained vigilance and reforms were required to safeguard the programme’s integrity.