Enhancing Good Governance in Pandemic: Reality and Challenges of Social Safety Net Programs in Bangladesh
Enhancing Good Governance in Pandemic: Reality and Challenges of Social Safety Net Programs in Bangladesh
Tanjil Ahmed
14 July 2020; 7.20
Although the death and recovered rate are somewhat relaxed, a particular survey found the infected rate has been increasing awfully. In this situation, the suffering of the lower and lower-middle-income people of the country has increased to the extreme. 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. In this case, e-governance is more strongly helping to ensure good governance in the country.
In
the 2017-2018 financial year, the revised budget allocation was tk. 48,524
crore for Social Safety Net Programs which was 13.06% of the total budget and
2.17% of the total GDP. Besides, in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, SSNPs budget was
tk 64,404 crore which was 13.81% of the total budget and 2.53% of the total GDP
(Finance Division, Ministry of
Finance).
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 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 Honorable 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 & implement SSNPs properly, government, ministries, and
other concerned authorities should focus on proactive e-governance applications.
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
(Power 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 the 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.
The writer is a student of the Department of Public Administration and Governance
Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh.
Email:
tanjilahmedtaj@gmail.com
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