Muhith expands social security coverage in new budget

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has announced a number of initiatives to expand the social security coverage and improve living standards of the poor in the proposed budget.

He said the government had been “gradually strengthening various social security programmes for the welfare of the destitute, neglected, distressed, backward communities of the country and this trend will continue in future”.

The initiatives are:

>>Raising the number of recipients of old age allowances from 3.15 million to 3.5 million

>>Raising the number of widow and oppressed women by 10 percent to 1.27 million

>>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 825,000

>>Increasing the number of beneficiaries of the educational stipend allowances for the disabled persons both at the primary and secondary levels by 10,000 adding 5,000 at each level

>> Raising the allocation for special allowance for transgender people to Tk 115.3 million increasing it by Tk 23.5 million;

>>Raising the allocation for special/ old age allowances of bede (water gypsies) and other backward communities to Tk 270 million increasing it by Tk 63.2 million;

>>Raising the allocation of financial assistance for patient suffering from cancer, kidney diseases, liver cirrhosis, stroke related paralysis and congenital heart diseases to Tk 500 million from Tk 200 million;

>> Allocating Tk 150 million for the scheme of improving the livelihood of tea estate workers and making one- time payment of Tk 5,000 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 600,000 increasing it by 100,000;

>> Raising the number of beneficiaries of maternity allowances for working lactating mother to 200, 000 increasing it by 20,000.

Besides, he said the government will continue the social protection programmes, including the vulnerable group development or VGD.