Islamabad: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed satisfaction over the increase in the budget of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), while also calling for a further enhancement in the level of assistance provided under the scheme.
According to a private TV channel, the IMF welcomed the strengthening of the BISP budget but emphasized the need to raise financial support to beneficiaries. IMF officials noted that although the budget of the income support programme has been reinforced, the amount provided under the Benazir Kafalat Programme remains low compared to international standards. They added that incentives are being appropriately increased to help maintain beneficiaries’ purchasing power.
The report stated that the IMF has proposed raising Kafalat assistance to up to 15 percent of consumption for low-income households and recommended adjusting the amount in line with inflation.
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The IMF noted that the BISP budget includes a 20 percent increase in spending on social assistance programmes, which should result in higher cash transfers under the Kafalat Programme.
The global lender suggested increasing the amount of unconditional cash assistance from Rs 13,500 to Rs 14,500, and expanding the Kafalat Programme’s coverage by at least 200,000 additional families.
According to the IMF, the number of beneficiary families is expected to reach 10.2 million by the end of fiscal year 2026, and further increases in assistance should be considered after the new household survey scheduled for 2026.
In addition, the IMF recommended expanding the coverage of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, stressing that full utilization of the BISP’s CCT budget is essential.
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