Punjab Govt Takes Lead In Framing Social Protection Policy: Minister

LAHORE, Dec 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Dec, 2016 ) : Provincial Minister for Finance Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha has said that the Punjab government has taken a lead in framing the social protection policy after extensive literature review and months of consultation with all the stakeholders including the Federal government and the World Bank.

Presiding over the 6th meeting of the Board of Punjab Social Protection Authority in Finance Department on Friday, she said that the policy builds on the strategic direction, set by the growth strategy, and provides a set of actions for the province to achieve goals in keeping with the national priorities and true to international norms.

She said that the PWDs need attention and collective efforts for comprehensive rehabilitation as they were most vulnerable section of society.

Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA), in collaboration with Punjab small industries, was providing interest-free loans to the beneficiaries of Khidmat Card programme on the one hand and all other PWDs in Punjab up to Proxy Means Test (PMT) score-40 on the other.

All applicants however need to have a viable business plan and have either obtained skill training/internship from skills providing institutes in public /private sectors. The CEO and Deputy CEO PSPA Dr Sohail Anwer and Tahir Raza Humdani, beside all other members of the board and officers concerned were present on the occasion.

PSPA CEO Dr Sohail Anwar presented the final draft of the policy before the meeting. He said that the social protection policy had five welfare objectives: opportunity, equity, resilience, gender equality and social cohesion.