The government is set to launch the largest ever Rs1.6 trillion worth Kamyab Pakistan Programme (KPP) – an initiative to give interest-free and subsidised loans to lowest income groups – amid bureaucracy’s advice to exercise caution and make the programme more transparent.
The government is expected to launch the programme on Monday that appears surprising as neither the Ministry of Finance nor the partner banks have got access to the “backbone” of the programme – the data.
The data is being collected under the National Socio Economic Registry (NSER), sources told The Express Tribune. In fact, the NSER data compilation and validation by Nadra will be done by end September, sources in the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, which is the custodian of the data, revealed.
If executed successfully and transparently, the programme can help 30 million families to improve their living standards by increasing their earnings.
The finance ministry and other government departments have advised the political leadership to exercise caution and conduct due diligence on the cost, service charges being paid to partner banks and microfinance institutions that will disburse these loans and the beneficiaries, sources said.
The finance ministry has conveyed its observations to the political leadership and urged it to follow them to avoid trouble in the hands of the National Accountability Bureau, sources added.