Fresh round of relief for pandemic-hit groups

We applaud the government decision to introduce relief packages worth Tk 3,200 crore to segments of the population who have been dealt a fresh blow by the latest round of lockdown to contain the current wave of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. Of this, Tk 450 crore will specifically target day labourers, transport workers, small traders and shipping workers with cash assistance; Tk 1,500 crore will be used to finance job creation activities in rural areas; and Tk 1,000 crore will provide low-interest loans for paying salaries to workers in the tourism sector. The government has also allocated Tk 100 crore for providing food assistance through the 333 hotline, and Tk 150 crore for operating 813 special open market sale (OMS) centres across the country.

While these are all commendable steps, quick and efficient disbursement is key to ensuring they are actually effective. And in order for them to be effective, there is an obvious need for these initiatives to be informed by data. However, last month, the finance minister dismissed the estimates of all non-government organisations regarding the new poor, and announced that the government will only accept poverty data from the BBS. So where exactly is this data? The Bangladesh Poverty Database has not been completed in more than seven years, and the data collected for it has already been rendered useless. As such, there still exist serious concerns about whether the government packages will actually reach those most affected by the pandemic. We have already seen previous attempts at cash disbursement go awry because of incomplete and incorrect lists of beneficiaries. What steps are the authorities taking to ensure this is not repeated?

Similarly, while there is clearly goodwill behind the initiative to ensure food assistance to those calling 333, we have previously witnessed how vulnerable citizens, made newly poor by the pandemic, have been punished for seeking help. The authorities must ensure that this does not happen again and take steps against government representatives engaging in this sort of abuse of power.

While experts have commended the latest round of relief packages, especially in terms of the OMS and a separate initiative to extend assistance to those with vulnerable group feeding cards, they have generally expressed concerns about effective targeting and duplication in beneficiary lists. The authorities must listen to their concerns, and take their recommendations on board if they truly want to help those most affected by the pandemic and the recent lockdowns.