Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi Islamabad, March 30 (INP-WealthPK): Around 80% of the total labor force in Pakistan is employed informally, say the World Bank estimates as of 2018. Informal laborers in Pakistan have historically operated under distress. To bring them under social protection, the government introduced the Ehsaas Rehribaan program. However, street vendors lament as shopkeepers continue to demand rent from them. Social protection is offered to street vendors who acquire a license and Ehsaas approved carts. U Microfinance Bank and Apna Microfinance Bank offer microfinancing options for vendors who can’t afford to self-finance the purchase. Mr. Naeem, a food vendor, and Master Saab, a key-maker, utilized microfinancing to obtain licenses and carts. “We’ve been told that it is going to take about two years to pay off the entire amount”, Mr. Naeem told WealthPK. “The total cost of acquiring a cart will come to about Rs175,000”, he stated. “We do not face pressure from officials to make under-the-table payments anymore… however, shopkeepers still require that we pay them rent”, Master Saab claimed. “Vendors down the road are paying Rs12,000 to Rs20,000 rent per month to the shopkeepers”, Mr. Naeem added. “Had we also leased a portion of land as part of the program, our financial worries would have been substantially reduced”, Master Saab said while talking about the expenses incurred. “I have acquired this expensive cart and am still paying rent to the shopkeeper. It would have been different had we gained freedom from paying rent, too. But that is not the case”, Mr. Naeem added in an agreeable tone. “I have told the lenders that I can only pay what I can set aside from my monthly revenue”, claimed one of the vendors. “Representatives from the bank visit us often to pressurize us into making payments”, he added. Data published by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) claims zero default rate in lending activities as of January 2022. With an estimated 20,000 vendors in Islamabad, PIDE projects government revenue from the program to exceed Rs400 million. In addition to Rs11.5 million generated via loans from microfinance institutions, the Government of Pakistan had collected Rs3.5 million in license fees as of January 2022. Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, PIDE, CDA and Municipal Corporation of Islamabad are jointly implementing the program.