KARACHI: Interim Chief Minister Sindh Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar urged government’s partners to help establish a social protection system that empowers and safeguards most vulnerable segments of society.

Speaking at ‘Consultative Seminar on Social Protection in Sindh’, he commended organisers in bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise for exploring ways to strengthen social protection system in province.

He expressed gratitude to participants for their valuable contributions to crucial dialogue, highlighting collaborative spirit that was essential for success of the government’s endeavours.

He said that government “Provides effective social assistance and protection to most vulnerable people”.

He emphasised crucial role of well-coordinated and comprehensive social protection system in alleviating poverty and promoting equity among diverse population of province.

He stressed importance of being aware of significant impact government’s decisions could have on lives of “Those who rely on these systems for their well-being”. He said that discussions in seminar and associated documentation had shed light on challenges within social protection framework. “These challenges include fragmentation across programmes, gaps in coverage, coordination deficiencies, targeting inefficiencies and inadequacies in monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.”

He said acknowledging hurdles was first step towards devising effective strategies to overcome them because “Our commitment was not merely declaration but call to action”.

Justice Baqar reaffirmed his strong commitment to reforming and consolidating social protection initiatives under newly established Sindh Social Protection Authority.

Authority’s creation, he said, was “Evidence of our determination to establish streamlined, efficient, and responsive system that meets needs of our people”. He emphasised importance of transparency and accountability through establishment of efficient monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

He highlighted significance of constantly evaluating impact of government’s interventions, recognising areas that needed improvement and adapting strategies to suit evolving circumstances.

Caretaker  Minister for Information Ahmad Shah, Secretary Social Protection Rafiq Mustafa Shaikh, Secretary School Education Shireen Narejo, Vice Chairman Social Protection board Haris Gazdar and EO Social Protection Authority Sami Shaikh addressed different sessions, while UN-FAO representative Emmanuel Moncada, DEAN IBA Karachi Dr Asma Hyder and BISP Chairman Dr Amjad Saqib via video link.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 01 2024

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