National
PM urges collaboration for better outreach of Ramadan relief package
Shehbaz Sharif says only 20% of funds withdrawn from digital wallets, blaming low awareness for the poor uptake.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed relevant ministries to work with the private sector to reassess the effectiveness and outreach of the awareness campaign for the Rs20 billion Ramadan Relief Package.
During a review of the package’s monitoring mechanism at the National Telecommunication Corporation in Islamabad, the PM highlighted that only about 20 per cent of the funds have been withdrawn from digital wallets, attributing this low uptake to a lack of awareness.
He encouraged eligible individuals to call 9999 to obtain the necessary information regarding the digital wallet system. “This relief package is not a favour, but a right for the deserving people,” he stated.
PM Shehbaz further explained that for the first time, cash transfers of Rs5,000 are being made to deserving families in a transparent manner, enabling them to purchase items based on their own preferences and needs. He added that the initiative will benefit four million families.
The PM also requested input from relevant stakeholders within a week to explore the possibility of expanding the scope of the relief package. Earlier, he was briefed in detail about the monitoring mechanism of the relief programme.
