Improving Pakistan’s Social Safety Nets: A Policy Analysis

Amidst stagnant economic growth, the Benazir Income Support Program was designed as one of the unconditional cash transfers in 2008 to remove the chronic intergenerational poverty and gender inequality. Over time, the issue of out-of-school children and malnutrition has also been addressed through this program. BISP, now running under an enhanced structure, is one of the biggest social safety nets of South Asia. At present, it is supporting over 9.3 million families at a cost of around PKR 471 billion.1 Due to the size and significance of the program, it is vital to reflect on whether its disbursement mechanisms are effective. The main source of BISP's funding is the federal budget, though the institution also receives additional funding from international development partners such as the World Bank, DFID, and the Asian Development Bank.