Rs. 48 billion to be disbursed to 8 million deserving individuals under the 2nd phase of 'Ehsaas'

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved the 2nd Phase of the ‘Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program’, under which Rs. 48 billion would be disbursed. The beneficiaries receive Rs.12,000 each as an unemployment benefit. It has also been decided that the number of regular ‘Ehsaas Kafalat’ beneficiaries will be increased to 8 million by June 2021 through the ongoing National Socio-economic Registry Survey (NSER).

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin virtually chaired the ECC meeting, according to a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry.

All the beneficiaries would be provided with one-time assistance of Rs 12000 per beneficiary under Ehsaas Kafalat to compensate for COVID related unemployment. In contrast, the government would identify 4 million additional beneficiaries through the ongoing NSER survey by an approved higher eligibility threshold.

The initiation of the disbursement process would is planned for this financial year.

In a related development, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar has revealed that the Ehsaas beneficiaries would be trained on financial and digital literacy can fully benefit from the welfare programme.

This file photo shows Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar. — DawnNewsTV/File