‘Ehsaas’ For All

Dr. Zeeshan Khan

 

From the very beginning, COVID-19 is affecting people in the worst way around the globe. The witch was when out of box, it actually engulfed more lives than any other calamity in the entire history of recent pandemics. Ranging from welfare states to developed countries and even developing and under-developed countries, all are affected badly to their cores. However, it was not only the virus which hit hard people as a disease but the resulted lockdown and shutdown of economies made all financially weak or more precisely landed them into quagmire of economic instability. 

The poor and especially the daily wagers underwent complete condition of unemployment. Meanwhile, Oxfam International has warned that the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could push half a billion more people into poverty unless urgent action is taken to bail out developing countries. The agency called on world leaders to agree an ‘Economic Rescue Package for All’ to keep poor countries and poor communities afloat. Oxfam also said that there are more numbers of people who would affect by poverty during the pandemic than the disease itself. Furthermore, World Bank And IMF are also supporting such alarming facts.

Oxfam’s new report ‘Dignity Not Destitution’ presents fresh analysis which suggests between six and eight percent of the global population could be forced into poverty as governments shut down entire economies to manage the spread of the virus. This could set back the fight against poverty by a decade, and as much as 30 years in some regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa. Over half the global population could be living in poverty in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Delivering the $2.5 trillion the UN estimates is needed to support developing countries through the pandemic would also require an additional $500 billion in overseas aid. This includes $160 billion which Oxfam estimates is needed to boost poor countries’ public health systems and $2 billion for the UN humanitarian fund. Emergency solidarity taxes, such as a tax on extraordinary profits or the very wealthiest individuals, could mobilise additional resources.

However, during the pandemic, Pakistan launched a programme of social protection in the form of Ehsaas Emergency Cash in these hard times for 12 million households in first phase  and it has been built with long term goals to increase the pursuit of financial inclusion. It is built with the aim of shifting payment ecosystem, from cash based to digital. Initially, 144 billion rupees were allocated for it but now the funding has been increased to Rs.203bn. Moreover, the number of individuals to be supported has been increased from 12 million to 16.9 million families, or around 109m individuals, practically half the country will benefit in this 5th most populous country of world because the people of lowest strata were worried from implementation of national lockdown in mid-March as economic activity came to a halt. Additionally, in country like Pakistan where nearly 40% of people live in poverty and more than 24 million workers either earn daily or piece-rate wages or are self-employed, the ensuing economic crisis hit the population hard.

The COVID-19 like crises give humankind once in a generation chance to end poverty, inequality and the climate crisis. More, not less, multilateralism is needed to fight coronavirus pandemic. The Alliance for Poverty Eradication can aid this transformation. 

While living our routine life, it’s difficult to comprehend the problems which a daily wager is going through. Through Ehsaas, government has managed to accommodate these daily wagers within the best possible means. Within 10 days of lockdown, Pakistan’s government had launched  the Ehsaas Emergency Cash. This safety-net was rolled out at unprecedented speed, designed in the short-term to offer immediate relief in the form of $75 to the poorest and hardest hit families.

Now, Pakistan’s largest social safety net program is receiving praise for its staunch effort of keeping the poor afloat amid the pandemic. International forums like World Economic Forum And Asian Development Bank are appreciating Ehsaas and recognising Pakistan’s efforts to fight poverty in the times of COVID-19.

Deserving individuals in Sindh gain the most from this apolitical decision and Sindh share was increased from 22.45% to 31%.

The motive behind Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme is to reach the common people with immediate assistance in this crucial time. Initially, Pakistan’s Government successfully transferred Rs. 120 billion in 9 weeks to over 10 million families in a transparent manner to deal with the COVID-19 fallout on the poor.

Overall, Rs. 194 billion has been paid out up till now in four months to more than 16 million families in a transparent way. It means that every second family was supported financially. It is highly commendable.

Foreign diplomats also recognised the scale and design, speed of deployment, transparency safeguards and real-time evaluations hardwired in success of largest ever Ehsaas Emergency Cash, Pakistan’s social protection response to COVID19.

Federal Govt. is also focussing on the eradication of stunted growth of children in Pakistan through Ehsaas  especially in tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Sindh. It is also going to open Ehsaas Nutrition conditional cash transfer facility in 9 districts with 31 nutrition centres.

To date, more than 254.95 billion rupees other than Ehsaas Emergency Cash have been spent for social protection and poverty alleviation under Ehsaas programme in different categories including 24.082 billion rupees for

 interest free loans, 4.8 billion rupees for largest graduate scholarship programme for talented students under HEC, more than 4.5 million women have been benefitted under Ehsaas Kafalat programme, more than 6 Ehsaas-Saylani Langar have been opened in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad under public-private partnership and ‘Langar on Wheels’ is also serving the poor during pandemic, under Ehsaas Income programme 1.5 billion rupees business investments have been provided, ration distribution under Ehsaas is also continued for pandemic hit families, all families of 219 villages near LOCLine Of Control) have been included in Ehsaas Kafalat Programme with monthly 2000 rupees along Ehsaas Emergency Cash 12000 rupees are also being provided and it is unprecedented. Furthermore, the true worship is service of humankind by heart.

 

Dr. Zeeshan Khan is an analyst, commentator and contributor to the Op-Ed pages of different newspapers.

Twitter: @DrZeeshanKhanA1

Email: dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com

 

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