Social Safety Net

We need to move from universal pension to universal social protection system

The universal pension would be out of reach of the extremely poor, such as day labourers, due to their inability to make contributions.

An uninspiring budget proposal

It fails to commit to reforms and address people’s sufferings

Social Safety Net: Share of the poor dwarfed by others

Under the FY24-25 social safety net programme of Bangladesh, the pension for retired government employees and savings scheme interest payments account for nearly the same allocation as social assistance for the poor, the old and the disaster-struck.

Don’t shrink social safety net even during austerity

No matter how tight the budget is, the social safety net sector has to be given its due importance.

Don't mislead the public with inflated social safety funds

30 percent of total social safety allocations going to the non-poor

Social safety net allocations inflated

Data by the finance ministry showed that the allocation for the pensions and interest payments account for 30 percent of the total social security programme fund of Tk 126,090 crore for the current fiscal year of 2023-24.

Social safety schemes must serve the vulnerable

Government must address issues with its effectiveness and distribution

Social safety net to get wider and better

A top official of the ministry said the government would increase the number of beneficiaries in two major schemes – the old age allowance and the allowance for widows, deserted, or destitute women.

High time the government got its priorities right

Low allocations for sectors that ensure people’s well-being, such as health, education, agriculture and social safety protection, is unacceptable

July 16, 2024
July 16, 2024

We need to move from universal pension to universal social protection system

The universal pension would be out of reach of the extremely poor, such as day labourers, due to their inability to make contributions.

June 8, 2024
June 8, 2024

An uninspiring budget proposal

It fails to commit to reforms and address people’s sufferings

June 7, 2024
June 7, 2024

Social Safety Net: Share of the poor dwarfed by others

Under the FY24-25 social safety net programme of Bangladesh, the pension for retired government employees and savings scheme interest payments account for nearly the same allocation as social assistance for the poor, the old and the disaster-struck.

June 6, 2024
June 6, 2024

Don’t shrink social safety net even during austerity

No matter how tight the budget is, the social safety net sector has to be given its due importance.

May 28, 2024
May 28, 2024

Don't mislead the public with inflated social safety funds

30 percent of total social safety allocations going to the non-poor

May 26, 2024
May 26, 2024

Social safety net allocations inflated

Data by the finance ministry showed that the allocation for the pensions and interest payments account for 30 percent of the total social security programme fund of Tk 126,090 crore for the current fiscal year of 2023-24.

April 19, 2024
April 19, 2024

Social safety schemes must serve the vulnerable

Government must address issues with its effectiveness and distribution

April 18, 2024
April 18, 2024

Social safety net to get wider and better

A top official of the ministry said the government would increase the number of beneficiaries in two major schemes – the old age allowance and the allowance for widows, deserted, or destitute women.

January 26, 2024
January 26, 2024

High time the government got its priorities right

Low allocations for sectors that ensure people’s well-being, such as health, education, agriculture and social safety protection, is unacceptable

July 26, 2023
July 26, 2023

Our social safety net budget is neither equitable nor efficient

How does the social protection budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year fare when analysed through the lenses of equity and efficiency?