Ehsas; the boldest step of Federal Government to alleviate Poverty
On March 27, 2018, PTI government has started a unique and biggest programme for Poverty alleviation, Ehsas, which is said to be the basis of putting an end to inequality and financial imbalance in the society, it'll be beginning for creation of Welfare State.
Rashid Hussain
Poverty Alleviation Programmes are governmental programmes, aimed at the removal of poverty and upliftment of those who are classified as poor. These programmes mainly concentrate on rural areas, where poverty is common, mainly due to their location, climatic conditions, and limited infrastructure. Many developed countries have launched big poverty alleviation programmes in the past, and India had initiated The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or the MGNREGA which offers 100 days of employment to every household in rural areas is perhaps the largest poverty alleviation programme in the world.
Prime Minister Imran Khan released the policy statement of his poverty alleviation programme Ehsaas, on Monday.
Turning to Twitter, the premier stated: “I am pleased to release my policy statement on #Ehsaas, my priority poverty reduction programme with its 4 focus areas and 115 policy actions to reduce inequality, invest in people, and uplift lagging districts.”
"Ehsaas’ poverty reduction strategy is articulated in four pillars and it currently embodies 115 policy actions, which may be expanded as the process of consultations on the program, further widens. The four pillars include: addressing elite capture and making the government system work to create equality; safety nets for disadvantaged segments of the population; jobs and livelihoods; and human capital development," the policy statement reads
"Ehsaas is about the creation of a ‘welfare state’ by countering elite capture and leveraging 21st-century tools—such as using data and technology to create precision safety nets; promoting financial inclusion and access to digital services; supporting the economic empowerment of women; focusing on the central role of human capital formation for poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable development; and overcoming financial barriers to accessing health and post-secondary education," it states.
The critics of Ehsaas programme hold some different stance, a columnist writes in the daily Dawn; Undoubtedly, these are admirable intentions and a part of Imran Khan's Riasat-i-Madina project, but where the money for such grandiose schemes will come from, given the state of the economy, is a complete mystery. A far more robust taxation policy, taxing the very rich and transferring this money to those who deserve it, would address Pakistan’s growing inequality and might allow social welfare spending as well, but the government fails at such structural measures of reform.
The anticipated IMF programme, is going to make things far worse for all Pakistanis, and especially for the working people already dealing with prospects of a marked economic slowdown and far higher prices. The IMF will further cut the minuscule development expenditure we have left.
The IMF brings about austerity, stabilization and cuts the growth rate, it insists on devaluation and will cause greater inflation by rising utility prices.
Inflation measured through consumer price index (CPI) surged to 9.4pc in March 2019, the period when global oil prices started rising, undermining earlier gains.
Over the past three months, prices of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat have posted a persistent increase in major urban centers.
The average inflation during the July-March period rose by 6.79pc every year.
While the government had projected 6pc annual inflation for the current financial year, the inflation had crossed the figure in February.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has come on the back of the rising inflation amid depreciating rupee and high global crude prices.
On Friday, the SBP increased policy rates by 50 basis points to 10.75pc, which were already at their six-year high, on the plea that the economy was under considerable strain. The central bank raised the interest rate by 4.50pc since January 2018.
Here is the chart of Pakistan's rapidly increasing inflation rate of the last eight months, which shows that Pakistani Premier's decision to launch the Ehsaas scheme was the boldest in connection with uplifting the present status of the people.
Rashid Hussain
Poverty Alleviation Programmes are governmental programmes, aimed at the removal of poverty and upliftment of those who are classified as poor. These programmes mainly concentrate on rural areas, where poverty is common, mainly due to their location, climatic conditions, and limited infrastructure. Many developed countries have launched big poverty alleviation programmes in the past, and India had initiated The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or the MGNREGA which offers 100 days of employment to every household in rural areas is perhaps the largest poverty alleviation programme in the world.
Prime Minister Imran Khan released the policy statement of his poverty alleviation programme Ehsaas, on Monday.
Turning to Twitter, the premier stated: “I am pleased to release my policy statement on #Ehsaas, my priority poverty reduction programme with its 4 focus areas and 115 policy actions to reduce inequality, invest in people, and uplift lagging districts.”
"Ehsaas’ poverty reduction strategy is articulated in four pillars and it currently embodies 115 policy actions, which may be expanded as the process of consultations on the program, further widens. The four pillars include: addressing elite capture and making the government system work to create equality; safety nets for disadvantaged segments of the population; jobs and livelihoods; and human capital development," the policy statement reads
"Ehsaas is about the creation of a ‘welfare state’ by countering elite capture and leveraging 21st-century tools—such as using data and technology to create precision safety nets; promoting financial inclusion and access to digital services; supporting the economic empowerment of women; focusing on the central role of human capital formation for poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable development; and overcoming financial barriers to accessing health and post-secondary education," it states.
The critics of Ehsaas programme hold some different stance, a columnist writes in the daily Dawn; Undoubtedly, these are admirable intentions and a part of Imran Khan's Riasat-i-Madina project, but where the money for such grandiose schemes will come from, given the state of the economy, is a complete mystery. A far more robust taxation policy, taxing the very rich and transferring this money to those who deserve it, would address Pakistan’s growing inequality and might allow social welfare spending as well, but the government fails at such structural measures of reform.
The anticipated IMF programme, is going to make things far worse for all Pakistanis, and especially for the working people already dealing with prospects of a marked economic slowdown and far higher prices. The IMF will further cut the minuscule development expenditure we have left.
The IMF brings about austerity, stabilization and cuts the growth rate, it insists on devaluation and will cause greater inflation by rising utility prices.
Inflation measured through consumer price index (CPI) surged to 9.4pc in March 2019, the period when global oil prices started rising, undermining earlier gains.
Over the past three months, prices of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat have posted a persistent increase in major urban centers.
The average inflation during the July-March period rose by 6.79pc every year.
While the government had projected 6pc annual inflation for the current financial year, the inflation had crossed the figure in February.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has come on the back of the rising inflation amid depreciating rupee and high global crude prices.
On Friday, the SBP increased policy rates by 50 basis points to 10.75pc, which were already at their six-year high, on the plea that the economy was under considerable strain. The central bank raised the interest rate by 4.50pc since January 2018.
Here is the chart of Pakistan's rapidly increasing inflation rate of the last eight months, which shows that Pakistani Premier's decision to launch the Ehsaas scheme was the boldest in connection with uplifting the present status of the people.
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