Safety net: Remove irregularities to cut poverty

Removing irregularities from safety net schemes aimed at alleviating poverty could help pull 1.07 crore people out of hardship without spending any additional cost, according to speakers at a webinar.

The webinar, styled "Allocation, Beneficiary Elections and Social Security Programmes in The Reality of New Poverty" was organised by Right to Food Bangladesh yesterday.

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Participants said the existing social safety net programmes are not adequate as these schemes are mostly operated on a short-term basis, which is not an effective way to provide year-round protection for those in need.

They went on to say that the funds set aside for various government social safety net programmes are insufficient and so, it is necessary to increase allocations to this end in the upcoming national budget.

In addition, the selection process for the beneficiaries of such programmes tends to lack transparency and therefore needs revamping.

Besides, the scope of social safety net programmes needs to be expanded in urban areas as well.

These comments came in light of a report published by the General Economics Division and Cabinet Division on July 2021.

Planning Minister MA Mannan said the government's goal is not to eradicate poverty, but to relieve it.

"The allocation that a family or individual receives under any given social safety net programme is certainly inadequate but we're trying to increase it," he said.

"It could be considered whether rationing can be brought back, but there is a need to coordinate it with the current market system," Mannan added.

Dr Kazi Khaliquzzaman Ahmed, chairman of Right to Food Bangladesh, urged for ensuring human dignity by eliminating the attitude that "poor people" need help.

"Instead, look it as a basic human right," he said.

Ahmed then said that there is a lack of coordination among the ministries that work on the issue of good governance.

"We have to emphasise on correcting that," he added.

Mohammad Mahfuz Kabir, research director of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said good governance is crucial for implementing social safety net programmes.

"How long will the corruption that takes place in the selection of beneficiaries continue? We have to take action on this now," he said, adding that the climate change issue need to be linked to these programmes as well.

Mohsin Ali, general secretary of Right to Food Bangladesh, said social safety net programmes are generally not aimed at the urban poor and instead target the rural poor.

At the same time, social safety net programmes are created keeping only the poor in mind while vulnerable people are kept out of equation.

He also said poor families in slum areas, especially children, should be covered by such programmes.

"For this, special projects are needed and the budget should have clear guidelines in this regard," Ali said.