SIALKOT - There are 7.7 million poor families in Pakistan while 17.2 percent people of the country live below the poverty line, admitted the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) chairperson here on Thursday.
Addressing a meeting of Sialkot exporters held at the auditorium of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Marvi Memon urged Sialkot exporters to adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy and provide jobs to about 20,000 most poor families in the district.
She said that the 20,000 most poor families got financial support of Rs1,500 each per month. She asked the exporters to come forward and provide jobs to these poor families in their factories after giving them necessary training. She said that the step would help overcome the shortage of manpower in factories.
The BISP chairperson praised the Sialkot exporters for adopting corporate service responsibility policy. She said that BISP had created close liaison with the country’s business community. She said that she had started the revolutionary step from Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). “Let us start this revolution from Sialkot and soon the step would be spread to all the chambers of commerce and industry,” she added, saying, “It is the time to do good deeds together.” SCCI President Fazal Jillani, SVP Mir Alamgir Meyer , VP Malik Naseer Ahmed and Chairman Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Younas were also present. She said that the PML-N government wanted to give the poor opportunities to play a key role in the national development. She said that the rehabilitation of the poor was the top priority of the government and it was striving for the cause.
She said that the government also wanted to enable the poor to stand on their feet by economically strengthening them. She said that the government had increased the budget of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) from Rs40 billion to Rs102 billion annually. The increase of Rs62 billion in BISP funds was a great gift for the poor, she said. She noted that the government was making sincere efforts to safeguard the self-respect of the poor by providing them the financial aid. She said that BISP will remain continued now with the active cooperation of CSR policy. The journey of light and revolution has started from Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), she said.
She added that the early address of the grievances of the poor was the manifesto of her party while the people had the complete trust and confidence in the government.
She also claimed that the BISP had become the recognisation of Pakistan globally and it had also become one of the five biggest social welfare programmes of the world. She said that BISP was also giving the economic boost to the women. She said that it had been providing financial assistance to 5.1 million families in the country. She said that BISP had provided a financial assistance of Rs315 billion to the poor families since its establishment. She said that it had got 6 million children enrolled in the schools across the country by spending Rs400 million in this regard.
On the occasion, the SCCI President assured her full cooperation and announced to provide the necessary training of the advanced skills to the poor families and jobs in their factories. He said that SCCI would soon sign an MoU with BISP in this regard.