ECC okays PKR 500 million more for BISP child nutrition program

The Nashonuma direct cash transfer intervention looks to improve uptake of health and nutrition services among the poorest of the poor.

By Muhammad Ali

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet Thursday approved a PKR 500 million grant for the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Nashonuma program – among other supplementary grants, the Finance Division said in a statement.

The BISP is Pakistan’s flagship safety net program, striving to alleviate the conditions of the poorest segments of our society through direct cash transfers. The Nashonuma program aims to address the stunting prevention during the first 1000 days of a newborn’s life. It is a conditional cash transfer intervention aiming to increase the uptake of health and nutrition services among the poorest of the poor.

Pakistan’s high malnutrition score are indicative of an on-going child nutrition crisis. Some 40.2 percent of Pakistani children are stunted, 28.9 percent are underweight, and 17.7 percent are affected by wasting. Such high levels of malnutrition rank Pakistan the second-highest burden country in the region.

“The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are a window of opportunity to lay a strong foundation for later achievements”, says the BISP. “This timeframe is a period of enormous change characterized by a high degree of plasticity in the child’s neurological development.

Other supplementary grants approved by the ECC include PKR 284.5 million for disbursement of amount as financial assistance to the Shuhada and injured persons of the January 31, 2023 terrorism attack in Peshawar, in which 84 persons embraced martyrdom and 233 persons were injured; PKR 67 million as rupee cover for USD 400,000 committed by the World Bank to utilize IDA loan under “Pandemic Response Effectiveness in Pakistan (PREP)” initiative for financial year 2022-23; and PKR 61 million for Federal Shariah Court to meet the shortfall being faced by FSC in current Financial Year 2022-23.

Besides, the ECC considered and approved a sheaf of summaries of Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division).

These included extension in renewal of Bhal Syedan Development and Production Lease (D&PL) covering an area of 16.41 sq kms located in District Attock, Punjab from January 1, 2022 to April 10, 2024 in favour of M’/s OGDCL; declaration of commerciality (DOC), approval of field development plan (FDP), and grant of development and production lease (D&PL) over Fazil Discovery (Mubarik Block) for a period of five years from June 8, 2022, in favour of M/s United Energy Pakistan (UEP) Beta GmbH, in order to meet the ever-growing energy needs of the country.

Also approved were grant of a five-year extension to Pariwali Development and Production Lease (D&PL) field covering an area of 121.95 sq. km located in district Attock, Punjab, to M/s POL from July 1, 2022; and grant of five-year extension over Minwal development and production lease (D&PL), covering an area of 18.85 sq km in district Chakwal, Punjab, from April 1, 2023.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting, attended by Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan, Federal Minister Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman; Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha; SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa; SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha; SAPM on Govt Effectiveness Mohammad Jehanzed Khan; Coordinator to the PM on Economy Bilal Azhar Kayani; along with federal secretaries and other senior officers.