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
Social Safety Net Spending: Big slice goes to non-poor
In circuses, whenever artists perform the tightrope walking stunt, underneath them are wide nets to prevent them from falling to the ground and avoiding potentially life-threatening injuries -- lest they lose their balance on the thin rope and falls over.