ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday launched Sehat Insaf Card for the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for providing health insurance cover of a million rupees to all the families.
The Prime Minister congratulated the provincial government over the inauguration of the scheme.
“The major reason for people living below the poverty line is illness,” the Premier said, explaining that due to a single person’s illness in a family, the entire budget of a family is affected.
The Prime Minister said that the government is trying to replicate and enforce the model in Punjab. He expressed hope that other provinces will also follow KP’s lead and introduce health insurance.
“The people in Sindh will also demand that they get health insurance,” he said, adding that the hospitals will also be pressured to perform better due to the health card.
He said that the health card scheme will ensure that facilities will be within the reach of smaller cities and villages. “It should be ensured that everyone has a health card so a database can be formed. With the database, health expenditure can be monitored.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the first province where every family is being provided a Sehat Insaf Card. The family having the card will be able to get free medical treatment worth one million rupees at government and private hospitals. Earlier, forty percent population of the province had been benefiting from Sehat Insaf Card.
In view of the wide public appreciation of Sehat Insaf Card, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to widen the scope of the programme so that every family benefits from this facility.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared the construction sector a guarantor for promotion of the economy.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction and Development here on Thursday.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the active role being played by the banks in the construction sector. He said the government has addressed all the reservations of the banks.
He said the State Bank of Pakistan has been empowered for immediate provision of subsidy announced by the government for the construction of houses. Foreclosure laws are also effectively being pursued.
The meeting was attended by the presidents of all the major banks.
The President of Pakistan Banks Association said all the banks are determined for the promotion of the construction industry, especially for the construction of houses for low and middle income groups.
The presidents of the banks said they have prepared products for promotion of the construction sector which will soon be introduced.
The Prime Minister directed the banks to simplify the application procedure pertaining to construction of houses so that low and middle income groups could fully benefit from their products.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the new parliamentary year calendar and expressed hope that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s third parliamentary year will be the year of development and bring more prosperity in the country.
The Prime Minister was having a meeting with his Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan who called on him here on Thursday.
Awan presented to the Prime Minister calendar of the third parliamentary year of the PTI government. Constitutional, legal and political matters were discussed in the meeting.
Awan said that the National Assembly (NA) will meet every month according to a new schedule prepared for the Lower House of the Parliament. “Parliament will work 133 days in the next parliamentary year,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved launching of Roshan Digital Account to facilitate overseas Pakistanis.
Chairing a briefing on the initiative here on Thursday, he said Pakistanis abroad are the most valuable asset of the country.
The Prime Minister said providing all possible facilities to overseas Pakistanis and their families who have contributed to the development of the country, is the top priority of the government.
State Bank of Pakistan is introducing Roshan Digital Account in collaboration with eight major banks of the country. It will be launched in the first week of September.
Meanwhile, chairing a review meeting on the ongoing reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue, Imran Khan said promotion of tax culture in the country, creation of facilities for the taxpayers and removal of concerns of the business community are the top priorities of the government.
The prime minister said special attention should be paid to automation in the system of tax assessment and collection system in the FBR.
He directed the chairman FBR to make arrangements for effective surveillance of all crossing points across the border. – TLTP