NEW DELHI: Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support
Programme (BISP), Madame Farzana Raja said that the most important
priority for countries of the region is development, which is only
possible through peace and stability both in our respective countries
as well as in the region.
Madame Farzana Raja proposed setting
up a permanent SAARC Commission to foster poverty alleviation efforts
in the region while speaking at the First Meeting of South Asia Forum
here on Friday.
She said that the decisions, including
intra-regional trade under SAFTA, made at SAARC forum need to be
implemented within a timeframe. Besides, a performance evaluation
mechanism should be developed to improve the performance of the
organization.
She suggested that all the SAARC countries may
conduct poverty survey in their respective countries in a similar
manner of survey conducted by BISP recently in Pakistan. The process
will be instrumental in gathering the correct data of poor population
so that their basic issues could be resolved in a more focused
approach”, she said.
“The People’s Government for the first
time launched a major social safety programme in the country in 2008,
which is the largest ever social safety initiative of Pakistan and
considered by many to be one of the most transparent safety nets across
the globe”, she added.
She informed the participants that
BISP’s plans for 2011 and 12 include large scale replication of
innovative payment mechanisms for the vulnerable lives that is Smart
Cards, Phone Banking and other creative products etc. Launch of a
conditional cash transfer programme to support co-responsibility for
education of children of beneficiary families, provision of life
insurance cover to the bread-winners of families, provision of demand
driven vocational and technical training, provision of health insurance
and micro-finance.
Madame Farzana Raja added further that we
must be cognizant of these vulnerable groups who would be left behind
while the rest of the society reaps the benefits of economic growth.
They need to be provided decent and dignified “safety nets” to help
them maintain at least their present quality of life.
While
presenting several suggestions for intensifying poverty alleviation
efforts, she said that a series of high profile seminars may be
organized in each SAARC country to highlight the efforts made by
various countries of the region to alleviate poverty through the
setting up of vibrant safety nets. Besides, publishing of case studies
on replicable models of safety nets from across the region may be
encouraged.
Madame Farzana Raja suggested that a permanent
SAARC Commission for poverty alleviation should be constituted and
showed her willingness to host the Commission in BISP Secretariat in
Pakistan for two years. “As a top priority SAARC mutual and
multilateral trade, Commerce, joint Industry and sources and resources
are to be geared in a manner where economic growth should evolve to
resolve the poverty factor to promote equality of life and to enhance
the quality of life for all SAARC countries’, she concluded. The
international observers and donors present in the conference lauded the
efforts of BISP on the occasion.
Following the detailed
presentation on Pakistan’s efforts on poverty alleviation in the
context of BISP by Madame Farzana Raja, it was suggested by a key
speaker Prof. Mahendra P Lama, Vice Chancellor Sikkim University India
that the programme should be replicated by other SAARC countries. He
recommended BISP during his presentation to the full session of the
South Asian Forum in New Delhi. The house applauded the suggestion.
Earlier,
Madame Farzana Raja held meeting with S M Krishna, Indian Foreign
Minister and discussed various matters pertaining to peace and
stability in the region, wellbeing of the people and poverty
alleviation on the occasion. The Indian Foreign Minister termed BISP as
the best programme in the social sector and said that other countries
may also emulate this endeavor. He appreciated the efforts of BISP and
the government of Pakistan regarding poverty alleviation. S M Krishna
expressed goodwill for the President, Prime Minister and the people of
Pakistan. Online
