Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Saturday that the government’s relief package, which was announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a day earlier, would help protect the poor people from the “storm of inflation” left by the previous PTI government and the recent hike in fuel prices.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he shared the criteria for availing the ‘Sasta Petrol, Sasta Diesel’ relief package. Women, whose household income was less than Rs40,000 per month, could text their CNIC (computerised national identity card) numbers on 786 or call that number to receive Rs2,000, he said.
“We cannot provide complete relief as we do not have the resources but we will do all we can to dress the wounds [of poor people.”
The relief amount would be incorporated in the upcoming budget which would be presented in the National Assembly next month, Ismail added.
The minister said the government would also augment the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), adding that when the government reduced fuel prices in line with international rates, it would also reduce the increased relief payments.
He clarified that the relief package was not limited to motorcycle owners but included anyone whose monthly household income was below Rs40,000. People who were already BISP beneficiaries did not need to send their details on 786 since they would automatically receive the amount, he added.
Sharing further details, Ismail said that under the relief package, 14 million households would receive the amount. “Rs2,000 will be given in June and it will cost the government Rs28 billion. Besides 3.3m BISP beneficiaries, this [package] covers 6.7m households with poverty scores less than 37.
“This money will be given to the poorest families,” he said. “We have the data and phone numbers of BISP recipients, we will start giving them the money from June 1.”
