Social security net widened

Finance Minister AMA Muhith proposed a wider social security net for the protection of the poor in his Tk 4,00,226 crore budget for the fiscal 2017-18.

“In order to increase the social security coverage and improve living standards of poor, I propose the following initiatives for FY 2017-18,” Muhith said in his budget speech.

The following initiatives are:

- Raising the number of recipients of old age allowances from 31.50 lakh to 35 lakh;

- Raising the number of widow and oppressed women by 10 percent to 12.65 lakh;

- Increasing the rate of allowance for financially insolvent disabled persons to Tk. 700, increasing it by Tk. 100 and raising the number of beneficiaries by 10 percent which will raise the total number to 8.25 lakh;

- Increasing the number of beneficiaries of the educational stipend allowances for the disabled person both at the primary and secondary levels by 10,000 adding 5000 at each level ;

- Raising the allocation for special allowance for transgender people to Tk. 11.35 crore increasing it by Tk. 2.35 crore;

- Raising the allocation for special/ old age allowances of bede and other backward communities to Tk. 27.00 crore increasing by it Tk. 6.32 crore;

- Raising the allocation of financial assistance for patient suffering from cancer, kidney diseases, liver cirrhosis, stroke related paralysis and congenital heart diseases to Tk. 50 crore from Tk. 20 crore;

- Allocating Tk. 15 crore for the scheme of improving the livelihood of tea labourers and making one- time payment of Tk. 5000 per head as substitute of food support;

- Allocating two festival allowances of Tk. 10,000 each for the valiant freedom fighters in addition to their monthly honorarium;

- Raising the number of beneficiaries of maternal allowances to 6 lakh increasing it by 1.0 lakh;

- Raising the number of beneficiaries of maternity allowances for working lactating mother to 2.00 lakh increasing it by 20,000.