Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Senator Rubina Khalid Wednesday held a live e-Kachehri at the BISP Headquarters to address beneficiaries’ concerns and facilitate the resolution of their complaints, highlighting the introduction of the Digital Wallet and Interoperability systems to ensure safe and transparent disbursement of financial assistance.
BISP chairperson holds live e-Kachehri, urges women to ensure safe and transparent payment collection
ISLAMABAD, Nov 04 (APP): Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Senator Rubina Khalid Wednesday held a live e-Kachehri at the BISP Headquarters to address beneficiaries’ concerns and facilitate the resolution of their complaints, highlighting the introduction of the Digital Wallet and Interoperability systems to ensure safe and transparent disbursement of financial assistance.
During the e-Kachehri, broadcast live through BISP’s official Facebook account, 25 callers from across the country contacted the chairperson by telephone and shared their problems and complaints.
Senator Rubina Khalid directed the relevant officials to resolve all complaints received during the session on a priority basis and submit an immediate report on the action taken.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Senator Rubina Khalid urged women whose Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) had expired to renew them through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) without delay to avoid any difficulties in receiving their financial assistance.
She said that, on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, BISP had introduced the Digital Wallet system to ensure the safe and transparent transfer of payments to women beneficiaries. She described the initiative as a gift from the Government of Pakistan to BISP beneficiaries.
The chairperson advised women who had not yet obtained their free Benazir SIMs from BISP offices, or had acquired SIMs from other sources, to collect the free SIMs from their nearest BISP office. She instructed them to bring their original CNICs and personal mobile phones when collecting the SIMs.
She categorically warned beneficiaries against obtaining SIMs from franchises, retailers or unauthorized individuals, or getting them activated through such sources.
Senator Rubina Khalid clarified that SIM activation would be carried out by the representative of the relevant mobile phone company at a designated BISP site. She also advised women to ask BISP staff to insert the SIM into their mobile phones themselves when handing it over.
Explaining the Interoperability system being introduced for BISP payments, she said the initiative would provide greater convenience and freedom to women beneficiaries by eliminating their dependence on a particular city or bank retailer.
Under the system, women would be able to collect their payments at any time from any authorized and trusted retailer of the six partner banks in any city across the country.
The partner banks include HBL, Habib Microfinance, Bank Alfalah, Telenor Microfinance, Bank of Punjab and Mobilink/Jazz Bank.
She emphasized that beneficiaries must possess their original CNICs and complete biometric verification to receive their payments.
Senator Rubina Khalid explained that when the payment amount was transferred to a beneficiary’s Digital Wallet, the relevant bank would send a confirmation message to her Benazir SIM. Women were advised to check this message before visiting an authorized bank retailer to collect their payments.
After withdrawing the amount, beneficiaries would receive a second confirmation message from the bank containing details of the amount withdrawn. The chairperson urged women to keep both messages safely as proof of the payment transfer and withdrawal.
She further cautioned beneficiaries against handing over their mobile phones to retailers, agents or any other person while collecting their payments, stressing the importance of protecting their personal information and financial transactions.
Regarding the BISP survey, Senator Rubina Khalid clarified that its purpose was to determine the eligibility of households for the programme. She said beneficiaries could not undergo another survey before the completion of two years after their previous survey.
She, therefore, advised women not to repeatedly visit BISP offices seeking another survey before the stipulated period, and urged them to follow the programme’s prescribed procedures to avoid unnecessary inconvenience.
