ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has urged registered women beneficiaries to collect free SIM cards from designated BISP offices or campsites to activate their Social Protection Wallets for receiving future financial assistance.
According to BISP, beneficiaries should visit their nearest BISP office or designated campsite with their original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and personal mobile phone. After biometric verification, BISP staff will issue a free SIM and activate the Social Protection Wallet on it.
All future BISP instalments, stipends and other financial assistance will be transferred through the digital wallet. Beneficiaries will also receive payment-related SMS notifications on the same SIM.
BISP has clarified that the SIM is not an ordinary mobile connection as it is linked to the beneficiary’s digital wallet. Women have been advised to keep the SIM secure and ensure that it is collected only from official BISP offices or authorised campsites.
Beneficiaries have also been warned against obtaining SIMs from mobile phone shops, franchises, retailers or other unauthorised persons. BISP said only SIMs issued through its official channels will be linked to the digital payment system.
The SIM and its activation are completely free of cost. Beneficiaries have been advised not to pay anyone for the SIM or wallet activation.
The Social Protection Wallet initiative is aimed at improving transparency in BISP payments, reducing the risk of unauthorised deductions and promoting financial inclusion among women. Under the system, funds are transferred directly to individual digital accounts, while beneficiaries receive SMS alerts when payments are credited and after withdrawals.
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According to BISP, beneficiaries will be able to withdraw funds through partner bank channels under an interoperability arrangement.
Earlier phases of the rollout resulted in millions of free SIMs being distributed across the country as BISP gradually shifted its payment system towards digital wallets.
Eligible women who have not yet collected their SIMs have been advised to obtain them from their nearest official BISP location.
