Save Our Pak
Islamabad (December 14, 2025): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed satisfaction over the increase in the budget of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
According to details, the IMF welcomed the government’s decision to raise the BISP budget and also recommended a further increase in financial assistance under the Benazir Kafalat Program.
The IMF stated that when compared to international standards, the amount given under the Kafalat Program is still low. To strengthen social protection, the budget for the Benazir Income Support Program has been improved.
The IMF said that benefits are being increased to protect people’s purchasing power. The updated BISP budget includes a 20 percent rise in spending on welfare programs, which will result in higher cash assistance under the Kafalat Program.
Under the new proposal, unconditional cash assistance will be increased from Rs 13,500 to Rs 14,500. The IMF noted that this increase is expected to bring at least 200,000 more families into the Kafalat Program.
By the end of the fiscal year 2026, the total number of beneficiary families is expected to reach 10.2 million. The IMF also recommended that after a new household survey in 2026, the assistance amount should be reviewed again. It suggested raising Kafalat support to around 15 percent of consumption for low-income households.
The IMF further advised that Kafalat payments should continue to be adjusted according to inflation. It also recommended expanding the coverage of conditional cash transfer programs and stressed that full use of the allocated budget for conditional cash transfers under BISP is extremely important.
Reported by Save Our Pak
