Tanjil Ahmed :
Though the people around the world are trying to adjust with the ‘New Normal’, but the present world is going through a terrible situation. Horrific coronavirus has already broken all the records of the 21st century. Billions of people are being directly or indirectly affected. In all least-developed and middle income countries, the economy, education, health, tourism, business, domestic and foreign trade have collapsed. Bangladesh, an example of a rapidly advancing economy in Southeast Asia, has not escaped from the scourge of coronavirus.
Addressing this issue, at the discretion of the Honorable Prime Minister, maximum efforts are being made to ensure food security and reduce health risks for marginal and lower and lower-middle-income people under the Social Safety Net Programs.
Accordingly, in the financial year 2019-2020, 74367 crore taka was allocated for SSNPs which was 14.21% of the total budget and 2.58% of the total GDP). However, in the current fiscal year (2020-21), the government has allotted Tk 95,574 crore for social safety net programs to fight against poverty and COVID-19 related issues.
It is notable that govt’s allocation for SSNPs have eulogized because this allocation is carrying need for marginalized and backward sections of the society where it has covered the16.83% of the total budget and 3.01% of the GDP (Finance Division, Ministry of Finance).Conversely, experts dread that this allocation is not still enough to feed and sustenance the huge number of low-income, marginalized and backward sections.
At present, 125 SSNPs are ongoing under the supervision and authorization of 25 ministries in Bangladesh. Such SSNPs are classified into 3 categories- like unconditional cash transfer, conditional cash transfer, and an emergency fund for housing and rehabilitation.
Among these, most common programs are old age allowance, widow allowances, vulnerable group feeding (VGF), vulnerable group development (VGD), food for work (FFW), work for money (WFM), disaster management, street children rehabilitation program, one house one farm, social security policy support (SSPS) programs, etc.Such Social Safety Net Programs have been playing an important role to fight against various local and national problems.
Especially, during the Covid-19 pandemic, SSNPs have helped to marginalized, poor, and low-income people in distinct parts of the country.It is to be noted that soon after the outbreak of coronavirus in Bangladesh, numbers of programs & projects have been taken and initiated under the SSNPs in collaboration with various ministries.
Emphasized programs are- the School Feeding Program project that distributes nutritious food for 30 lakh primary school’s students; a cash disbursement program of tk. 2500 to 50 lakh families; provide 17,866 crores in the budgetary support to the underprivileged people; 3,000 crore loan program for low-income professionals, farmers, and marginal and small traders without collateral.
Moreover, supply of 6,000 tons of food grains under social security project; provide direct cash assistance to about 50 million people; health protection project for 1.1 million Rohingya refugees; distribution of 74,000 metric tons of rice worth tk. 251 crore at 10 tk. per kg under OMS project; allowance of tk. 615 Crore for widows and old age under Social Security Program etc have also provided.
All these programs and activities of the government under SSNPs are undoubtedly commendable. But there are various unexpected challenges in the implementation of these programs and activities. Although the Prime Minister has drawn an instance regarding the punishments of the corrupted, in some cases there are notable impediments still alive like local-level corruption, improper relief distribution, and partiality based allowance’s list, lack of monitoring, lack of evaluation, lack of sustainability, and inadequate relief scheme etc.
Therefore, intending to ensure good governance and implement SSNPs properly, government, ministries, and other concerned authorities should focus on proactive e-governance application. In this regard, the following recommendations can address the good governance issues in the pandemic.
Firstly, the application of e-governance has to be ensured to fix all levels of corruption through maintaining G2G, G2C, and G2B communication.Secondly, transparency and accountability of performance of all digital centers at the local level, like UDCs (Union Digital Centers), UICs (Upazila Information Centers) and PDCs (Powro Digital Centers) should be ensured.Alike, the accountability, transparency, and efficiency of local representatives will ensure through active monitoring and evaluation systems.
Thirdly, disadvantaged and marginalized groups have to be especially focused when providing VGD, VGF, and other allowances and political biases have to be removed for ensuring the exercise of democracy. Fourthly, coordination, cooperation, and increase the use of ICT tools have to be ensured for safeguarding transparency when proving services to the beneficiaries.Finally, sector-based subsidies for ensuring proper distribution of reliefs have to be raised.
It can be assumed that the situation after the coronavirus outbreak will be more difficult and challenging for everyone as well as every sector of the country. Therefore the government should think about identifying strategies to help the middle class and lower-middle-class people during their hardship.
Though the people around the world are trying to adjust with the ‘New Normal’, but the present world is going through a terrible situation. Horrific coronavirus has already broken all the records of the 21st century. Billions of people are being directly or indirectly affected. In all least-developed and middle income countries, the economy, education, health, tourism, business, domestic and foreign trade have collapsed. Bangladesh, an example of a rapidly advancing economy in Southeast Asia, has not escaped from the scourge of coronavirus.
Addressing this issue, at the discretion of the Honorable Prime Minister, maximum efforts are being made to ensure food security and reduce health risks for marginal and lower and lower-middle-income people under the Social Safety Net Programs.
Accordingly, in the financial year 2019-2020, 74367 crore taka was allocated for SSNPs which was 14.21% of the total budget and 2.58% of the total GDP). However, in the current fiscal year (2020-21), the government has allotted Tk 95,574 crore for social safety net programs to fight against poverty and COVID-19 related issues.
It is notable that govt’s allocation for SSNPs have eulogized because this allocation is carrying need for marginalized and backward sections of the society where it has covered the16.83% of the total budget and 3.01% of the GDP (Finance Division, Ministry of Finance).Conversely, experts dread that this allocation is not still enough to feed and sustenance the huge number of low-income, marginalized and backward sections.
At present, 125 SSNPs are ongoing under the supervision and authorization of 25 ministries in Bangladesh. Such SSNPs are classified into 3 categories- like unconditional cash transfer, conditional cash transfer, and an emergency fund for housing and rehabilitation.
Among these, most common programs are old age allowance, widow allowances, vulnerable group feeding (VGF), vulnerable group development (VGD), food for work (FFW), work for money (WFM), disaster management, street children rehabilitation program, one house one farm, social security policy support (SSPS) programs, etc.Such Social Safety Net Programs have been playing an important role to fight against various local and national problems.
Especially, during the Covid-19 pandemic, SSNPs have helped to marginalized, poor, and low-income people in distinct parts of the country.It is to be noted that soon after the outbreak of coronavirus in Bangladesh, numbers of programs & projects have been taken and initiated under the SSNPs in collaboration with various ministries.
Emphasized programs are- the School Feeding Program project that distributes nutritious food for 30 lakh primary school’s students; a cash disbursement program of tk. 2500 to 50 lakh families; provide 17,866 crores in the budgetary support to the underprivileged people; 3,000 crore loan program for low-income professionals, farmers, and marginal and small traders without collateral.
Moreover, supply of 6,000 tons of food grains under social security project; provide direct cash assistance to about 50 million people; health protection project for 1.1 million Rohingya refugees; distribution of 74,000 metric tons of rice worth tk. 251 crore at 10 tk. per kg under OMS project; allowance of tk. 615 Crore for widows and old age under Social Security Program etc have also provided.
All these programs and activities of the government under SSNPs are undoubtedly commendable. But there are various unexpected challenges in the implementation of these programs and activities. Although the Prime Minister has drawn an instance regarding the punishments of the corrupted, in some cases there are notable impediments still alive like local-level corruption, improper relief distribution, and partiality based allowance’s list, lack of monitoring, lack of evaluation, lack of sustainability, and inadequate relief scheme etc.
Therefore, intending to ensure good governance and implement SSNPs properly, government, ministries, and other concerned authorities should focus on proactive e-governance application. In this regard, the following recommendations can address the good governance issues in the pandemic.
Firstly, the application of e-governance has to be ensured to fix all levels of corruption through maintaining G2G, G2C, and G2B communication.Secondly, transparency and accountability of performance of all digital centers at the local level, like UDCs (Union Digital Centers), UICs (Upazila Information Centers) and PDCs (Powro Digital Centers) should be ensured.Alike, the accountability, transparency, and efficiency of local representatives will ensure through active monitoring and evaluation systems.
Thirdly, disadvantaged and marginalized groups have to be especially focused when providing VGD, VGF, and other allowances and political biases have to be removed for ensuring the exercise of democracy. Fourthly, coordination, cooperation, and increase the use of ICT tools have to be ensured for safeguarding transparency when proving services to the beneficiaries.Finally, sector-based subsidies for ensuring proper distribution of reliefs have to be raised.
It can be assumed that the situation after the coronavirus outbreak will be more difficult and challenging for everyone as well as every sector of the country. Therefore the government should think about identifying strategies to help the middle class and lower-middle-class people during their hardship.
(Tanjil is a student of Department of Public Administration and Governance Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Email: [email protected])
