The Process of Calculating People’s PMT Score
Have you ever wondered how BISP calculates and determines the PMT score of each person? The poverty score is a scale used to assess a person’s eligibility for the program. How does BISP verify if someone is truly in need or lying? This article answers all your questions.
The source of this information is DG Naveed Akbar. He provided detailed answers in an interview. BISP is not only known in Pakistan, other countries also work on this programme. It is great to know that it has become one of the top three programs in the world.
How does BISP Calculate People’s PMT Scores?
The BISP selection process is based on scientific principles. They always use a questionnaire with 63 questions covering assets, family members, education, and employment. Each answer is scored, and a poverty score is calculated for each family, ranging from 0 to 100. They start enrolling families with a score of 0 until their financial resources are exhausted.
Currently, families with a PMT score below 32 are eligible for the BISP programme. No one has the power to enrol or remove individuals arbitrarily. People participate in the survey and enrol if their score is below 32. Check the yearly budget of BISP by DG Naveed Akbar in the interview.
Government employees were enrolled in BISP but they were not eligible and were removed in 2019. Most of these employees were in grades 1 to 4, earning between 25,000 to 30,000 rupees. At that time, people with a salary of less than 30,000 rupees were eligible. Now, no government employee can join the BISP programme.
BISP Verification Methods to Maintain Integrity
BISP performs cross-verification on certain questions. For example, if there’s a question about vehicle ownership, they can verify the information through NADRA or other data sources. Their questionnaire is highly complex and scientific, making it difficult to cheat. Each question is linked to another, allowing them to detect any contradictions.
What is the first step to enrol in BISP?
Previously, BISP conducted house-to-house surveys, which took a long time—8 to 10 years. The first survey was done in 2011 and repeated in 2021. If someone wasn’t enrolled the first time, that person had to wait for 10 years. Now, they have launched dynamic survey centres at the tehsil level across Pakistan.
Each BISP centre has 4 to 5 counters where anyone can go for the survey. BISP offices are open 6 days a week, except Sunday. Beneficiaries and others can participate in the dynamic survey at their convenience. BISP launched its new call centre to guide people about BISP.
How BISP Started and Became Recognized Worldwide
BISP started as a simple cash transfer program in 2008 with a budget of 1.5 million rupees. Initially, it provided 1000 rupees per month to poor families. Over time, it surpassed major programs in Brazil and Mexico. Now, BISP is one of the top three social welfare programs in the world.
The World Bank and Asian Development Bank finance this program. All UN agencies, including UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and WHO, work with BISP. The German government contributes through KFW Bank and GIZ Company. BISP also receives grants from FCDO, UK Aid, and USAID.