PM Imran to launch Ehsaas Amdan programme on Friday

Islamabad: To be formally launched on February 21 this month in south Punjab by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Ehsaas Amdan Programme will provide 200,000 assets to the deserving household (60 per cent women and 30 per cent youth beneficiaries) impacting the lives of 1.4 million people.

The information was shared by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar while briefing media person on the new initiative. With the total budget of Rs15 billion, the Ehsaas Amdan Programme is one of several programmes under the Ehsaas umbrella. Its objective is to create livelihood opportunities for those that are most disadvantages. The programme implementation has begun in January 2020. It is a four-year programme ending in 2023.

The Ehsaas Amdan Programme involves giving away of small assets to those who live below the poverty line so that they can earn a living and can come out of the shackles of poverty. Assets include livestock (goats, cows, buffaloes, poultry), agriculture inputs, Qingqi rickshaw, and inputs for small retail outlets and small enterprises.

The households identified under this initiative are supported to develop Livelihood Investment Plans that identify current skills and resources held by the household, and the type of potential resources and assets required to develop or enhance their businesses and income-generating activities.

Dr Sania informed the media persons that the programme is commencing in 375 rural union councils in 23 of the poorest districts across the four provinces of Pakistan. Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), which is an organisation attached to the poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division is the lead implementing agency for the Asset Transfer program and is working through implementing partner organisations that have a strong presence in the selected districts.

“The PPAF will work through the pre-established presence of community institutions at hamlet and village levels in the light of experience of implementing similar programmes. Once the asset type is identified, the local village level organisation with support of implementing partner organisations will procure assets locally and distribute these to the households,” she said.

SAPM further said that the community procurement processes have been established by PPAF to ensure transparency and accountability in the identification, selection and procurement of all assets and/or vocational skills training. “Those beneficiaries that require vocational training are supported to attend courses offered by certified technical training institutes. Trainings on asset utilization and business planning are also provided to eligible household members to help them turn the asset into an economically productive enterprise.”

Dr Sania said that the program focuses largely upon Ehsaas Kafalat households through poverty scorecard ranking and community driven validation process. The identified households are further supported through asset transfers or vocational trainings, interest free loans. 221,926 interest free loans will be provided out of which approximately 50 per cent of loans will be to households who have received assets under this programme (110,726 households). She said that the scale of the programme will be enhanced based on results

Districts in Punjab where this program is commencing include Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, and Layyah. In KP there are 10 districts (Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Palas Kolai, Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank). In Balochistan there are three districts: Jhal Magsi, Zhob, and Sherani. In Sindh the districts include Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Tharparkar and Umerkot. These districts were selected based on a special study, which was conducted by PPAF in which three parameters were taken into consideration, Level of human development, and level of poverty, level of food insecurity. The district, which ranked lowest were included in the first wave of the programme.