PM chairs session on targeted subsidy program for poor-income class

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired Monday a session huddled to layout subsidized programs for the poor-income class of Pakistan wherein he was briefed that the survey for the targeted subsidy program is 92 per cent complete and will take a couple of weeks before its finished, ARY News reported.

The purpose of this program is to extend subsidies to low- and poor-income classes in essential food items for which a survey is underway to determine the number of deserving households for the subsidy.

The session was attended by the finance minister Shaukat Tarin, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on poverty alleviation Sania Nishtar, PM’s advisor on revenue Waqar Masood, the president of National Bank Arif Usmani, among others.

Dr Nishter briefed the session on the targeted subsidy program survey hammered out under Ehsaas and said by the end of this month the survey would complete.

The PM appreciated the efforts and noted targeted subsidy is needed because extending across-the-board price relief to both the rich and the poor will be a waste of resources.

The PM directed to complete the survey soon so the subsidy can be extended already by early next month.

READ: PM chairs session to review progress in COVID-19 vaccination drive

Separately today before the said session, PM Khan chaired another session to review progress in COVID-19 vaccination, across the country.

The session, also attended by federal ministers and concerned officials, was briefed on the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) strategy on the vaccination drive and the indicators.

The prime minister Imran Khan called the steps taken for the Coivd-19 vaccination as satisfactory, adding that the pandemic could be subdued with timely vaccination and implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs).