Addressing the nation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a historic relief package worth 120 billion rupees to mitigate inflation and offer relief to the masses.
Subsidy on essential food items
The PM said that a subsidy worth 120 billion rupees will be provided to the masses. Under the package, three essential commodities including flour, ghee, and pulses will be provided to twenty million families at thirty percent discount rates. The amount will be shared both by federal and provincial governments.
Ehsaas Rashan will provide a subsidy of Rs1,000 per month to households with an income of Rs31,500 per month or a poverty score of less than 39. The subsidy will be for a period of six months.
The governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu, and Kashmir have already agreed to give their consent for the relief program. In other federating units, the federal government’s share of subsidy will be Rs350 per month per eligible household.
Interest-free loans
The premier also announced interest-free loans worth 1.4 trillion rupees under the Kamyab Pakistan Program The loans will be provided to four million families for the following purposes:
- House construction
- Investment on lands (up to 5 lac rupees)
- For business in rural areas (up to 5 lac rupees
- Skilled training for individuals
Scholarships and stipends
The prime minister also announced six million scholarships and stipends for students.
“We are investing Rs47 billion on this scheme. The provincial governments are on board with this package,” said Imran Khan. “None of the previous governments have given such a massive educational program in the history of Pakistan,” he added.
Health cards
Imran Khan also promised a health insurance card for every Pakistani family. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is already practicing this program. The health card holder can claim health insurance of up to Rs1 million at any government hospital.
“We have initiated this program in Islamabad. It will be introduced in Lahore by December this year,” announced the PM.
Health cards to families in Punjab will be given by March 2022. The PM requested the Sindh government to initiate a similar health program soon.