The government has introduced a new savings program, known as the Bachat Scheme, as part of the Benazir Income Support Programme, aimed at benefiting daily wage earners and other individuals in need.
The Bachat Scheme is now open for applications and has been initially rolled out in several cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Neelum, Peshawar, Lakki Marwat, Quetta, Qila Saifullah, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Gilgit, and Astore.
To determine eligibility for the program, individuals are assessed using a scientific Proxy Means Test (PMT) conducted through the National Socio Economic Registry (NSER) survey. The PMT assigns a welfare score ranging from 0 to 100 to each household.
Eligibility Criteria for the BISP Bachat Scheme:
To be eligible for participation in the BISP savings scheme, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- The PMT score of the applicant should fall between 0 to 40.
- Applicants must first complete the NSER survey within the Benazir Income Support Program before applying for the Bachat Scheme.
Where to Apply for the Bachat Scheme:
Interested individuals can apply for the scheme by visiting the following website: https://savings.bisp.gov.pk/
Instructions for Applicants:
- Applicants must have a savings account in a bank.
- Those selected for the program are required to deposit a monthly amount ranging from Rs500 to Rs1,000 into their accounts.
- Customs will contribute an additional 40% of the saved amount through BISP.
- The scheme’s duration spans two years, after which customers can withdraw their accumulated savings.
- During this two-year period, customers will not be able to withdraw their principal amount, but they will be eligible to receive profits on their savings.