Committee meets to review preparations of Ehsaas Targeted Subsidies Programme.

ISLAMABAD -- Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar Wednesday convened a meeting of steering committee to review the preparations of forthcoming Ehsaas Targeted Subsidies programme which would be implemented by December 2021.

The steering committee for the programme has been constituted on the instructions of the Prime Minister. The Committee has been principally mandated to oversee the execution of the targeted commodity subsidies programme.

Under Ehsaas, commodity subsidies will solely be administered through Ehsaas database. These targeted subsidies will be given on selected essential commodities.

As a part of the programme preparations, Ehsaas has completed integration of its IT systems with those of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) for identification of Ehsaas beneficiaries and provision of targeted subsidies on selected commodities.

Also, collaborative work is underway with NBP to build digital ecosystem for serving beneficiaries locally through a network of private run, retail grocery stores. With Dr. Sania in chair, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Deputy Governor SBP, President National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Secretary BISP and Managing Director Utility Stores Corporation joined the steering committee meeting.

They were also joined by senior officials and representatives from Finance Division, Industries and Production Division and Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited.

Opening the meeting, Dr...