Friday, January 14, 2022

Pakistan Pursuing Ambitious Program to Build Social Safety Net

Pakistan's PTI government has built South Asia’s first digital National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) as a part of its ambitious effort to build a basic social safety net. The Ehsaas (also known as BISP- Benazir Income Support)) program's socio-economic registry includes household information by  geography, age, income, education, health, disability, employment, energy consumption, land and livestock holdings etc. Ehsaas Programs include both Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCT) and Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT). Unconditional Cash Transfers are made only to people living in extreme poverty or distress. Conditional Cash Transfers like Waseela-e-Taleem and Nashonuma  are given for education and nutrition respectively.  In addition, there are feeding centers (langars) for the hungry and shelters (panahgahs) for the homeless. 

Development of Ehsaas Social Registry. Source: Maintains

The National Socio-economic Registry will be regularly updated to keep it current and deliver services to the Pakistanis most in need. The effort started in earnest in 2020 to hand out Rs. 12,000 per family to 3 million most affected by the COVID19 lockdown. Here's how a Pakistani government website describes the digital registry architecture:

"The Cognitive API architecture for Ehsaas’ National Socio-Economic Registry 2021 is one of the six main pillars of ‘One Window Ehsaas’. With the survey, which is building the registry currently 90.5% complete nationwide, Ehsaas is firming up its plans to open data sharing and data access services for all executing agencies under Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Data sharing will be done through the Cognitive API Architecture approach. The deployment of Ehsaas API architecture for data sharing will allow executing agencies to access data from the unified registry in real-time to validate beneficiary information. This will empower them to ascertain eligibility of potential beneficiaries". 

Universal Healthcare Map. Source: World Population Review


More recently, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) governments in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces have rolled out Sehat Cards to provide free health coverage to cover tens of millions of people. This is essentially a government-funded health insurance program run by insurance companies to cover up to one million rupees worth of care each year at government certified public and private clinics and hospitals. It represents a major expansion of this program which was first introduced in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. It is now available to residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and Tharparkar district in Sindh under the Sehat Sahulat Program.    

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17 comments:

SAMIR SARDANA said...

Instead of CCT and UCT - this is the time to FLOAT the DIGITAL PKR - which can be activated and deactivated,at will !

The Trillion USD Crypto,is based on this - and so,there are may companies in the US and EU, which can provide this tech,almost free - for being tagged with a nation.Also some Pakistani IT firm,can do the same,and then,roll it all over Africa and LDCs

Thus bank infra need not be created,and there is no need of ATMs,and all the user spend, will have an e-trail,and so,minute analysis of consumer spend,can be made - which will aid in subsidy management and policy and Govtt policies

The same model can be applied to agri subsidies,for farmers.dindooohindoo

And most importantly it will boost the GDP,and bring that incremental GDP,into he VAT net

JIYE JIYE PAKISTAN !

zen, germany said...

riaz, next time when you write about IITs in india :)

https://www.timesnownews.com/the-buzz/article/iit-mandi-director-prof-laxmidhar-behera-says-ghosts-exist-claims-to-have-driven-out-evil-spirits-via-chants/849746

SAMIR SARDANA said...

Mr Zen From Germany has awoken late !

IIT - INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TOILET CLEANERS !

Sample this clown - who says farming needs,no fertiliser,or seeds or water

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chant-vedic-mantra-to-get-a-better-crop-goa-govt-scheme-for-farmers-5244821/

MODI CHAIWLAA IS ALSO FROM THAT INSTITUTE AND HAS MADE MANY MAGICAL WONDERS FOR COVID

The Indians were trying out 3000 year OLD – ANCIENT HINDOO MEDICINES, as under :

MAGIC COW PISS COLA (by drinking it – the smell will drive away the COVID Virus !)

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/drink-cow-urine-to-fight-virus-bengal-bjp-chief/article32119516.ece

MAGIC COW DUNG CAKES (by applying it on the nose and mouth and face – the COVID virus will get scared off)

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/cow-dung-cake-mix-prepared-by-uttarakhand-ayurvedic-university-can-kill-coronavirus-in-air-claims-vc/articleshow/77225183.cms

The Indians were also trying out some MAGICAL RITUALS,OF THE RIG VEDA (also 3000 years old)

LIGHTING LAMPS (to attract the COVID Virus to the lamp fire and burn it)

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-lights-lamps-to-show-unity-in-fight-against-covid-19-2206576

LIGHTING LASERS OF CELLS ( to blind the COVID Virus)

LIGHTING CELL PHONES (to divert the Virus into the Phone)

CLAPPING HANDS ( to send sonic shock waves to the COVID virus)

https://www.france24.com/en/20200320-clap-our-hands-says-modi-but-india-needs-more-to-tackle-coronavirus-crisis

BEATING UTENSILS ( to send sonic shock waves to the COVID virus)

https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/corona-come-crowding-streets-to-beat-thalis-wont-help-us-defeat-coronavirus-2546699.html

Riaz Haq said...

Spirit of Riyasat-i-Madina: Transforming Pakistan

By PM Imran Khan

https://dailytimes.com.pk/869730/spirit-of-riyasat-i-madina-transforming-pakistan/


Over the last 75 years, our country has suffered from elite capture, where powerful and crooked politicians, cartels, and mafias have become accustomed to being above the law.

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The fourth founding principle was of inclusive development through the creation of a welfare state where society takes care of its poor and vulnerable and everyone is a stakeholder in the development of society and state. State of the medina was the first recorded welfare state of mankind where the state took responsibility for its weak. Since we must emulate the example of our blessed Prophet (SAW), our citizens should learn to be strict with themselves and generous with others.

Keep in mind, however, that in recent times the idea of the welfare state has been coloured by the Western European experience. Indeed, the West created impressive welfare systems from the 1950s to 2010s, of which the most impressive were the Scandinavian ones. However, most of the Western welfare states were not sustainable environmentally because these were very high consumption societies that produced enormous waste. If the whole of non-West were to copy these welfare states, then our pattern of production, consumption, and waste would resemble theirs, and by some estimates, it would require us six more planet earth to act as sinks that would absorb our waste. Such a welfare state is neither possible nor desirable. Since Islam is the middle path, only moderate prosperity and consumption would be ideal, just enough to fulfil our basic needs with dignity and honour, with universal health care and education.

And finally, a knowledge-based society that doesn’t confound literacy with knowledge. Literacy may lead to illuminative knowledge that may guide us to good behaviour, but some of the highest crime zones of the world also have very high literacy rates. One must not lose sight of an important historical fact that nearly all scholars of early and medieval Islam had deep roots in spirituality.

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Lastly, in the light of our ideals, we have embarked on the road to the welfare state with some great initiatives. Despite tight financial means, we allocated an unprecedented amount of money to our initiatives such as the Ehsaas Program which was launched back in 2019. Ehsaas Program is a social safety and poverty alleviation program necessary for vulnerable groups in society. This was one of our key initiatives towards building a state that cares about the welfare of our citizens. By far, one of the greatest programs in the history of Pakistan is the Sehat Sahulat Program, which offers our citizens universal health coverage. This is not just to protect vulnerable households from sinking into poverty who often borrow money for medical treatment, but it also leads to a network of private sector hospitals all over the country, thus benefitting both the public as well as the private sectors in the field of health. Just Punjab government alone has allocated Rs. 400 billion rupees for this. The Sehat Sahulat Program is an important milestone towards our social welfare reforms. It makes sure that certain low-income groups in Pakistan may have access to their entitled medical health care quickly and honourably without accruing many financial obligations. In the wake of global economic hardship brought about in the post-COVID era, we have not neglected the fast transforming educational arena. Our Ehsaas scholarship program would ensure that talented students within the underprivileged and poor strata of society would get a chance to pursue decent education that would augment their chances of getting better livelihoods. This program combined with all our other scholarships amounts to six million scholarships worth Rs 47 billion. This, too, is unprecedented in the educational history of Pakistan.

Riaz Haq said...

Only two countries, #US & #Israel, voting against making #food a basic #humanright
https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/gashc4336.doc.htm
https://twitter.com/haqsmusings/status/1486552024070062086?s=20

In other action, the Committee approved a draft on the right to food by a recorded vote of 180 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with no abstentions, expressing alarm that in 2020, the number of people lacking access to adequate food rose by 320 million ‑ to 2.4 billion ‑ amounting to nearly a third of the world’s population, and that between 720 million and 811 million people faced hunger.

“Hunger is a violation of human dignity”, Cuba’s delegate asserted. Presenting the draft, he voiced concern that the United States has blocked consensus on the text for four years. The United States representative — highlighting conditions in the Lake Chad Basin, Yemen and Somalia ‑ said the draft contains unbalanced and inaccurate positions that her delegation simply cannot support. The concept of food sovereignty could justify food protectionism, negatively impacting food security, she explained, adding that the United States does not recognize the right to food, as it lacks a definition in international law.

Riaz Haq said...

Senator Dr Sania Nishtar
@SaniaNishtar
Anonymized data from the #Ehsaas Registry is being made public. This is a gold mine for researchers and globally, a stellar example of #DataDemocratisation. 3/3
https://bit.ly/3LZEnuZ

https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1514183448109498370?s=20&t=lUJLHYFi3kPzTTGu6rThHg

Ehsaas, the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf government-run social safety net, achieved a historical landmark of completing the Ehsaas Survey for 34 million households in Pakistan.

This is South Asia’s first digital door-to-door ‘census-like’ survey, with multiple digital safeguards to hedge against abuse, said Dr Sania Nishtar, former special assistant to PM and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).

Senator Dr Sania Nishtar today shared an informational video on the Ehsaas National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) as she stepped down, highlighting an important component of Ehsaas that was completed but not yet publicly released.


On Twitter, she wrote, “Our Government achieved the historical landmark of completing the Ehsaas Survey for 34 Mn households. This is South Asia’s first digital door-to-door ‘census-like’ survey, with multiple digital safeguards to hedge against abuse”.


She further added “Ehsaas’ Registry enabled the govt to target Ehsaas’ social benefits effectively, target subsidies, and respond to shocks. Here are some insights from the survey across multiple dimensions and unique attributes of the registry. Anonymized Data from the Ehsaas Registry is being made public. This is a gold mine for researchers and globally a stellar example of #DataDemocratisation”.

Ehsaas achieved a historical landmark earlier this year to conclude the nationwide door-to-door NSER survey for more than 34 million households. The NSER survey is an all-encompassing survey designed to assess the socioeconomic status of the household and ascertain their poverty score through Proxy Means Testing (0 – 100). The survey has 43 unique variables and covers demographic, socio-economic, education, health, and asset profiles of the household.


The Ehsaas Registry is unique and important for its own reasons. It was not just Pakistan’s but also South Asia’s first digital and census-like door-to-door survey. Multiple digital safeguards, logical checks, and 3rd party validation and profiling were conducted to hedge against the risk and ensure data credibility. And through its credible and reliable database, it became a key enabler in decision making for all Ehsaas programs and facilitated making evidence-based and impartial decisions on the basis of need and merit.

To promote transparency and encourage data sharing, Ehsaas has made selective data from the NSER registry public. The video shares key insights across four key dimensions including Household coverage, Socio-economic analysis, Education analysis, and Health and Disability analysis. A dynamic PowerBI-based dashboard has also been developed and can be accessed here:

Riaz Haq said...

P A K I S T A N
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
April 2022

https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/410d0506bba8afc6fd9d9541148bfe4d-0310062022/original/PDU-April-2022-April18-ForWEB-Final.pdf


Supported by higher growth and the recovery in the manufacturing and services sectors,
the poverty headcount, measured at the lower-middle-income class line of US$3.20 PPP
2011 per day, is estimated to have declined from 37.0 percent in FY20 to 34.0 percent in
FY21.

Rising inflation has disproportionally affected poor and vulnerable households that spend
a relatively larger share of their budget on food and energy. More specifically, the poor
spend around 50 percent of their total consumption on food items, whereas this share is
only 43 percent among the non-poor. In response, the Government inaugurated a
targeted commodity subsidy program, Ehsaas Rashan Riayat, in February 2022 to
compensate eligible households for higher prices.22

The Government undertook timely policy measures to mitigate the adverse
socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
lowered the policy rate and announced supportive measures for the financial sector to
help businesses and the Government expanded the national cash transfer program on an
emergency basis.2 These measures contributed to economic growth rebounding to 5.6
percent in FY21.3 However, long-standing structural weaknesses of the economy,
particularly consumption-led growth, low private investment rates, and weak exports have
constrained productivity growth and pose risks to a sustained recovery. Aggregate
demand pressures have built up, in part due to previously accommodative fiscal and
monetary policies, contributing to double-digit inflation and a sharp rise in the import bill
with record-high trade deficits in H1 FY22 (Jul–Dec 2021). These have diminished the
real purchasing power of households and weighed on the exchange rate and the country’s
limited external buffers.
b. Real Sector
Growth
Economic
momentum
continued, but
business confidence
has declined
During H1 FY22, y-o-y growth in car production and sales, petroleum sales, and foreign
remittance inflows indicate continued momentum in economic activity and private
consumption. Similarly, investment is also expected to have increased with a strong
growth in machinery imports and government development expenditure. Government
consumption is also expected to have expanded given the 16.0 percent increase in
consolidated current expenditure in H1 FY22. Activity in the external sector was also
vibrant, with import and export values growing by 54.4 percent and 27.3 percent,
respectively. While the flow of bank loans to private businesses grew in this period, it was
led by an increase in working capital or short-term financing, particularly as businesses
faced higher input costs, as opposed to long-term or fixed investment financing. The
business confidence survey index also declined from a pandemic high of 64.0 in June
2021 to 53.4 in December 2021, indicating lower optimism in the business sector
regarding the economic outlook.4
Favorable weather
conditions are
expected to support
higher overall crop
production
In agriculture, estimates suggest that rice, sugarcane, and maize production will be higher
this year, reflecting better weather conditions.5 With regards to agriculture inputs,
agriculture credit disbursement grew 3.9 percent, and farm tractor sales increased by 21.2
percent in H1 FY22.6 Similarly, 97.7 percent of the sowing target for wheat has been met.7
----
Large-scale
industrial production
growth strengthened
The LSM index, a key indicator for industrial activity, increased by 7.5 percent y-o-y
during H1 FY22 compared to a muted growth of 1.5 percent in H1 FY21. Growth was
broad-based with 16 out of the 22 sectors recording higher production. Only

Riaz Haq said...

Modest progress on SDGs
Khaleeq Kiani

https://www.dawn.com/news/1686708


Pakistan’s first Sustainable Develop­ment Goals (SDGs) Status Report (2021) is out and the country’s overall progress on SDGs is modest.

“Overall, Pakistan’s SDGs (composite) index score has increased from 53.11 in 2015 to 63.49 in 2020 i.e. 19.5 per cent up from the baseline of 2015,” according to Dr Shabnam Sarfraz, member of Social Sector and Devolution of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

In summary, the status report finds a considerable decline in extreme poverty, improvement in access to energy, increased industrial activities, reduction in maternal mortality, improvement in undernourishment, food insecurity, wash and housing, and climate action.

There are many areas identified by the report that need urgent collective attention such as education, children out of school, the proportion of youth not in education, employment and training, provision of decent work environment, implementation of climatic adaptation etc.

Since 2015, the Government of Pakistan has not published a consolidated report that presents the country’s progress on SDGs indicators viz-a-viz their baseline values. The report captures the existing data availability gap and compares the baseline 2014-2015 with values of the most recent available data on 133 SDG indicators.

The report says that Pakistan’s progress on SDG-1 — poverty reduction has been steady. Poverty has been on the decline between the period 2014-15 and 2018-19 with 9.3 million people lifted out of poverty away from the national poverty line. Similarly, Pakistan witnessed a significant decline in the proportion of the population affected by disasters.

In a drive towards zero hunger as espoused by SDG-2, undernourishment declined by 4.2pc from 20.2pc to 16pc from 2015 to 2019. Also, a moderate achievement was made through the reduction of stunting by 7pc and wasting by 4pc during 2013-18 among children under five years of age.

Improvements are seen in health outcomes for mothers by reducing anaemia among pregnant women by 16.5pc in seven years during 2011-18. There was a one per cent decrease in the agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture, from 39pc to 38pc, over four years during 2015-2019.

On good health and well-being under SDG-3, Pakistan has shown reasonable progress by improving most of the basic health indicators. The number of mothers dying during pregnancy and live births reduced by 32.6pc during 2007-2019. Births attended by skilled health personnel increased by 10pc in five years during 2013-18. National vaccination coverage improved by 11.5pc in five years between 2013 and 2018.

Concerning education achievements (SDG-4), the country’s progress has been dismal. The primary completion rate has stagnated at 67pc in five years during 2015-20. Similarly, the gender gap (SDG-5) of 9pc between the primary completion rate of males and females has also persisted in this period. The lower secondary completion rate has marginally increased from 50pc to 59pc during 2015-20. The national literacy rate stagnated at 60pc in five years during 2015-20, which is alarming and worrying.

More girls were enrolled in schools improving the gender parity in net enrolment at primary, middle and Matric levels during 2015-19. Large deficiencies and disparities persist in the provision of basic services to schools across the country.

Access to clean water and sanitation has also shown improvements at the national and provincial levels over time under SDG-6. Improved source of drinking water is available to 94pc of the country’s population. Access to drinking water in Balochistan has increased by 17pc in 5 years during 2015-20. The population having access to unshared toilets and handwashing facilities is 68pc and 54pc respectively, as per Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey (PSLM) 2019-20.

Riaz Haq said...

Modest progress on SDGs
Khaleeq Kiani

https://www.dawn.com/news/1686708


Pakistan’s first Sustainable Develop­ment Goals (SDGs) Status Report (2021) is out and the country’s overall progress on SDGs is modest.


On SDG-7, Pakistan’s commitment to the environment is shown by an increase in the share of renewable energy by more than four times between 2015 to 2019. The reliance on clean fuel (cooking) increased to 47pc in the period during 2018-19, from 41.3pc in 2014-15 at the national level. An increase of 3pc was recorded in 2019- 20 with 96pc of the population having access to electricity as compared to 93pc in 2014-15.

On SDG-8 ensuring decent work and economic growth, the economy experienced a slowdown with an annual growth rate of real GDP per capita declining to -3.36pc in the fiscal year 2019-20 from 2.04pc in 2014-15. Similarly, almost one-third of the total youth (30pc) in the age group (15-24 years) was not obtaining education, employment or training at the national level over the four year period of 2015-19 (SDGs indicator 8.6.1). Within the country, the highest instance of this category of youth was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 38pc. The children aged 10-14 years engaged in work slightly reduced by over 2pc to 6.47pc from 8.64pc during 2015-19, at the national level.

Some progress was made on the SDG-9: industry, innovation and infrastructure targets. With the availability of new data from PSLM the baseline value is established with 88pc of the rural population living within two kilometres of an all-season road. The proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added increased to 10.50pc in 2019-20 from 8.40pc in 2014-15, despite the overall negative effects of Covid-19 in 2019-20. The proportion of the mobile phone-owning population increased by 1pc in two years, from 45pc to 46pc between 2018-20.

A slight dent was made by the reduction of income inequality by 2pc in 2016-2019 for SDG-10. A small decline of 7pc in the proportion of the urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing also occurred during 2014-2018 from 45pc to 38pc for SDG-11. Pakistan remains committed to addressing the problem of hazardous waste and to compliance with the Basel Convention as required under SDG-12 concerning sustainable consumption and production. Regarding SDG-13 on climate action, greenhouse gas emissions were 375.03 million tonnes in 2016, a 2.5pc increase from 2015.

Relating to the SDG-14: Life below Water, Pakistan has maintained the proportion of fish stocks at 30pc within biologically sustainable levels for the five years between 2015-20. Despite the growing population and rapid urbanisation pressures, Pakistan’s forest area as a proportion of total land remained unchanged at around 5pc in five years between 2015-2020 which is one of the targets of SDG-15: Life on Land.

On SDG-16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; in terms of counting the uncounted, birth registration of children under 5 years showed an improvement by 8.2pc in five years between 2013-18. Under SDG-17 developing partnerships for achieving SDGs showed significant improvement in its journey towards digital transformation as the fixed internet broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants increased by 20pc in three years during 2017-20.


Riaz Haq said...

India Stack - Digital Infrastructure as Public Good | November 2019 | Communications of the ACM


https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/11/240375-india-stack-digital-infrastructure-as-public-good/fulltext

India Stack
Leapfrogs. There have been various technologies that have played the role of infrastructure. While the technologies themselves are commendable, their real "disruptive" power has been what applications they enable. For example, the Internet may have been born of a specific need, but its success is because of its design. It was a mass-scale, open, and interoperable protocol. The use cases for the Internet were not restricted by the imagination of its founders.

The India Stack is a name given to a family of APIs, open standards, and infrastructure components that allow a user in India to demand services digitally. As of 2019, the services the India Stack offers are proving identity, completing KYC, making digital payments, signing documents digitally and sharing of data. While the list of APIs is growing, the APIs listed in Table 1 are now mature, well understood, and enable efficient delivery of services in India.

Riaz Haq said...

The Indian economy is being rewired. The opportunity is immense
And so are the stakes

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/05/13/the-indian-economy-is-being-rewired-the-opportunity-is-immense

As the country emerges from the pandemic, however, a new pattern of growth is visible. It is unlike anything you have seen before. An indigenous tech effort is key. As the cost of technology has dropped, India has rolled out a national “tech stack”: a set of state-sponsored digital services that link ordinary Indians with an electronic identity, payments and tax systems, and bank accounts. The rapid adoption of these platforms is forcing a vast, inefficient, informal cash economy into the 21st century. It has turbocharged the world’s third-largest startup scene after America’s and China’s.

Alongside that, global trends are creating bigger business clusters. The it-services industry has doubled in size in a decade, helped by the cloud and a worldwide shortage of software workers. Where else can Western firms find half a million new engineers a year? There is a renewable-energy investment spree: India ranks third for solar installations and is pioneering green hydrogen. As firms everywhere reconfigure supply chains to lessen their reliance on China, India’s attractions as a manufacturing location have risen, helped by a $26bn subsidy scheme. Western governments are keen to forge defence and technology links. India has also found a workaround to redistribute more to ordinary folk who vote but rarely see immediate gains from economic reforms: a direct, real-time, digital welfare system that in 36 months has paid $200bn to about 950m people.

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan to launch digital ID wallet this year
By Daniel Tost - March 8, 2022, 6:19 pm

https://www.globalgovernmentfintech.com/pakistan-to-launch-digital-id-wallet-this-year/


Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is planning to roll out a digital identity wallet later this year in a move that will end the need for physical ID.

NADRA is tasked with digitising all citizen data in the country, which – with more than 220 million citizens – is the fifth biggest in the world in terms of population.

As part of a digital push aimed at generating benefits including greater financial inclusion, the authority is working on a significant evolution of the existing ‘Pak-ID’ smartphone app – which was itself only introduced seven months ago, the authority’s chairman Tariq Malik told Pakistani media Dawn.

Launched last September, Pak-ID allows citizens to apply for a physical ID card remotely by using their Android or iOS device to scan documents and biometric data including their fingerprints and take a picture to verify their identity. When it was introduced, NADRA proclaimed that Pakistan had become ‘the first country in the world to introduce ID technology’. Two weeks later, the authority launched a similar biometric verification service for the banking and payments industry. With five banks initially participating, the service enables customers to open bank accounts and undertake biometric authenticated financial transactions using a mobile-phone camera.

Hailing Pak-ID’s debut, prime minister Imran Khan called the app “a revolutionary step in providing convenience, especially to overseas Pakistanis”. It seems these expats have at least partly driven the decision to launch the digital identity wallet by updating the Pak-ID app. “In a short span, 75,000 overseas Pakistanis have processed their national identity cards from the comfort of their homes by using the app,” Malik told Dawn. “With successful testing on 75,000 overseas Pakistanis, NADRA will go for a digital wallet.”

The wallet would be “a leap forward putting an end to the conventional physical ID” and is to be made available “later this year”, Malik said. “The digital dividends of such technology innovation will yield positive results in contactless banking, financial inclusion, ease of doing business and e-governance initiatives by offering remote identification and e-KYC [know-your-customer procedures].”

Riaz Haq said...

FSI - Frameworks for a Developmental Welfare State: Lessons From Pakistan's Ehsaas Programme

Sir Michael Barber, Muqueet Shahzad

https://fsi.stanford.edu/publication/frameworks-developmental-welfare-state-lessons-pakistans-ehsaas-programme

Pakistan's Ehsaas Programme has set itself apart as a world-leading anti-poverty effort to uplift the country's most vulnerable. This paper is a review of the Ehsaas Programme, implemented by the Government of Pakistan from 2018 onwards. Ehsaas, in its goal of becoming a holistic and integrated response to poverty, provides a diverse set of services for vulnerable Pakistanis, including unconditional cash transfers, targeted subsidies, and increased health and nutritional coverage. We study the various policy, programmatic, and implementation reforms undertaken during this period and explore the lessons these reforms offer for global policymakers. In particular, we point to the importance of good leadership, building strong institutions, effectively using data and technology, and of using an integrated, inclusive approach to anti-poverty. Our findings indicate that these reforms have enabled Ehsaas to successfully scale impact, increase transparency, and improve the efficiency of its interventions, whilst building trust amongst beneficiaries and programme administrators.

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Poverty in Pakistan
Pakistan’s poverty challenge is one of the hardest in the global context. Pakistan
ranks as the 51st poorest country in the world5
, as well as the 5th most populous6,
with population continuing to grow at an alarming rate of 2%
. While the
population growth rate is on a downward trend, countries of similar
demographics indicate that the implications in the long run can be damaging
for the livelihoods of millions of people.
Pakistan’s wealth is incredibly concentrated amongst a few families, leaving
35%8 of Pakistanis below the poverty line. As Pakistan’s wealthiest pay little tax,
Pakistan’s poor citizens pay more taxes in their place

https://fsi-live.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/ffdws_ehaas_20220602_0.pdf

Riaz Haq said...

Digital Census – NADRA Pakistan

https://www.nadra.gov.pk/local-projects/social-protection/digital-census/

For the first time in Pakistan, NADRA proposed a comprehensive “IT Solution” to carry out 7th Population and Household Census of Pakistan, “THE DIGITAL CENSUS”. Span of this activity is covering the whole country, in 628 Tehsils comprising approx. 185,000 Census blocks. The activity shall be performed using android based smart devices, equipped with android based house listing and enumeration application synchronized with GPS & GIS.

------------------

PBS organized an extensive training for census enumerators in 27 districts across Pakistan to ensure uniformity & quality through the process.

Pakistan’s first digital census will provide valuable information about population growth, urban-rural ratio, gender, age, literacy, languages, religion, disability, migration, ethnicity, and economic activities.


https://www.globalvillagespace.com/pakistans-first-digital-census-pbs/

Riaz Haq said...

Navigating NADRA's Journey Towards Greater Inclusion and Digital Transformation: An Outsider's Perspective


Atyab Tahir

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-nadras-journey-towards-greater-inclusion-digital-tahir

3. Leverage RAAST:

NADRA's symbiosis with #RAAST, Pakistan's instant payment system, can redefine how government benefits reach citizens. Mirroring India's Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) and Kenya's M-Pesa, this system can enhance the speed, security, and convenience of government-to-person (G2P) payments. #DigitalPayments #NADRA #RAAST


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A conversation with a friend recently propelled me towards an intriguing exploration. He asked for my perspective on enhancing the role of Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), akin to India's Aadhaar system. That thought-provoking question led to the genesis of this article.
NADRA, since its inception in the 90s, has greatly influenced the landscape of data collection, storage, and usage in Pakistan. Representing one of the world's most comprehensive citizenship databases, it has facilitated various administrative and governance processes, from issuing the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) to passport services and beyond.
In the global #DigitalRevolution era, the Aadhaar system shines as a beacon of #PublicService transformation and inclusivity, urging us to recognize NADRA's transformative potential. With its comprehensive reach and capabilities, NADRA is poised to act as a significant change catalyst, steering us towards a more #DigitallyInclusive Pakistan.
1. Interoperability and Integration:
NADRA must facilitate seamless integration with other government systems, across national to local levels. Taking a leaf from Estonia's X-Road platform, a secure data exchange layer connecting multiple databases, NADRA can contribute to an efficient, citizen-centric administrative system. #DigitalIntegration
2. Financial Inclusion:
Aadhaar's success is tied closely to promoting #FinancialInclusion. NADRA, too, can kindle such progress in Pakistan. Facilitating default bank accounts linked to CNICs, NADRA can launch a financial revolution, integrating the unbanked into the mainstream financial realm.
Brazil used its citizen registry to deliver emergency COVID-19 aid to 67 million Brazilians, reflecting how such an integrated approach can create real impact. Similarly, NADRA, in sync with financial institutions, could provide Pakistani citizens with much-needed financial assistance. By leveraging its extensive database, NADRA can further aid in credit scoring and risk assessment for loans, extending credit facilities to previously underserved segments. #FinancialInclusion #DigitalBanking
3. Leverage RAAST:
NADRA's symbiosis with #RAAST, Pakistan's instant payment system, can redefine how government benefits reach citizens. Mirroring India's Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) and Kenya's M-Pesa, this system can enhance the speed, security, and convenience of government-to-person (G2P) payments. #DigitalPayments #NADRA #RAAST
4. Privacy Protection:
Robust data protection measures are paramount as NADRA expands its influence. Fostering public trust requires a transparent mechanism for data access and sharing, coupled with guaranteed data encryption. The European Union's GDPR provides a robust framework for such an endeavor. #DataProtection

Riaz Haq said...

Digital public infrastructure is transforming lives in Pakistan. Here's how

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/07/digital-public-infrastructure-is-transforming-lives-in-pakistan/

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) initiatives in Pakistan are enabling financial inclusion and empowering citizens, especially in underserved areas.

Pakistan's National Database & Registration Authority is responsible for a digital identity system, which facilitates transactions for citizens.

Maintaining the safe and responsible deployment of DPI requires political commitment, robust legal frameworks, and ethical principles.

History teaches us that even the simplest technological innovations can have the most profound consequences for society. From the railways to the internet, technologies have reshaped our lives. Today, digital public infrastructure (DPI) represents such a determining investment. In the case of Pakistan, the country has demonstrated its commitment towards digital transformation, marked by interventions in 2022.

On a scorching day with temperatures soaring to 42 degrees, Manzoora, a mother from the flood-stricken district of Shaheed Benazirabad, rural Sindh, Pakistan, made a significant leap: she withdrew cash from her own bank account for the very first time. This milestone was made possible through a mobile cash transfer programme initiated by the Sindh government, which partnered with digital service providers to empower citizens like Manzoora. This is just one example of how DPI is changing lives of millions of Pakistanis.

Pakistan's digital transformation
At the heart of Pakistan's digital transformation is the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), established to overhaul the country's identity systems. This was a foundational change, positioning Pakistan among a select group of nations equipped to manage comprehensive digital identities for over 240 million citizens. The NADRA-issued Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) is now a standard feature in every adult Pakistani's life, facilitating a range of routine tasks such as opening bank accounts, purchasing airline tickets, acquiring driver’s licenses, and qualifying for social protection, thereby ensuring seamless identity authentication for every citizen.

Within four years of launching the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) – a social protection initiative to alleviate poverty – CNIC issuance to adults increased by 72%. Despite its head-start to similar digital identity (ID) initiatives in other countries, optimal use of NADRA's digital database remains limited to only few ministries, department, agencies, and regulated businesses.

The crucial role of political support and legislation
The success of DPI hinges on enduring political commitment and robust legal frameworks that transcend electoral cycles. While the concept of citizen registration was embedded in Pakistan’s 1973 constitution, the integration of various national databases through the NADRA Ordinance 2000 and subsequent legislative enhancements in 2012 have been critical.

Pakistan's digital initiatives
Pakistan's journey toward effective DPI is characterized by the rollout of significant digital initiatives, such as, Contactless Biometric Verification App, Nishan Pakistan, and Pakistan Digital Census. While these prioritize long-term benefits, it is essential to achieve short-term wins to maintain engagement and support, preventing loss of momentum due to shifts in leadership or political will.

For instance, by integrating digital IDs with banking and telco services, the Asaan Mobile Account (AMA) scheme launched in December 2021, within the span of two years secured more than 10 million mobile accounts, with around 40% being women-owned.

Riaz Haq said...

Digital public infrastructure is transforming lives in Pakistan. Here's how

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/07/digital-public-infrastructure-is-transforming-lives-in-pakistan/

Likewise, NADRA's role in the RAAST payment system - a State Bank of Pakistan initiative – highlights how DPI can transform financial transactions. RAAST, an interoperable instant payment system, utilizes NADRA's identity authentication processes to offer secure, swift KYC-compliant financial transactions across various platforms, thereby democratizing access to digital payments for millions.

Additionally, Pakistan's DPI framework has also proven instrumental in managing crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Within days of initiating the lockdown, Pakistan's federal authorities announced unconditional cash transfers. The government provided approximately $75 per household, sufficient to purchase three months' worth of food staples to 12 million vulnerable households.

The targeted response, facilitated by the robust digital ID infrastructure provided by NADRA, resonates strongly with the United Nations-based Better Than Cash Alliance’s 10-point action plan. This plan urges digitizing social benefits and providing women with Digital IDs, mobile phones, and internet access to advance financial equality.

The same approach is endorsed by a recent report on the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), which highlights significant advancements in Pakistan’s digital delivery system.

These significant opportunities need to be informed and designed with guardrails to ensure that the deployment of DPI is safe, responsible, and leveraged for inclusive societies. The Universal Safeguards for DPI initiative, and the UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments aim to create a practical framework for countries implementing such initiatives. This initiative identifies potential risks in global DPI deployments, providing valuable insights to inform the design and implementation of future safeguards.

For instance, in Pakistan, NADRA's data sharing follows strict parliamentary processes. In national security cases, the crisis management cell within the Ministry of the Interior responsible for evaluation and requests of specific data fields. These standard operating procedures ensure case-by-case data sharing, a clear paper trail, and accountability to NADRA's board.

The future of Pakistan's digital economy
The potential of DPI to transform Pakistan's economy and society is immense. With projections suggesting that wholesale adoption of digital payments could boost GDP by up to 7%.

Looking ahead, Pakistan is set to launch several ambitious DPI initiatives, including expanding the RAAST payment system, implementing a nationwide digital health records system, and launching a blockchain-based land registry. These projects promise to drive efficiency and transparency across multiple sectors, positioning Pakistan as a pioneer in the global digital landscape.