Bangladesh expands ‘smart social security’ in 2024-25 budget

The number of disability allowance recipients will be increased from 2.9 million to 3.2 million

The government has proposed to increase the number of disability allowance recipients and other beneficiaries under its ‘smart social security’ programme in the next financial year.

The number of disability allowance recipients will be increased from the current 2.9 million to 3.2 million, Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said as he tabled the FY 2024-25 budget on Thursday.

In addition, the stipend for students with disabilities will be raised from Tk 950 to Tk 1050 at the higher secondary level. On Oct 23, 2023, the parliament passed the National Disabled Development Foundation Act 2023.

A state-of-the-art 15-storey National Disabled Complex has been constructed in Sector 14, Mirpur, Dhaka, through the National Disabled Development Foundation, the minister said.

The prime minister inaugurated the Government to Person (G2P) system for electronic payment of allowances to beneficiaries within the social safety net on Jan 14, 2021. Now allowances are being distributed to a total of 1,15,31,567 beneficiaries through the G2P system.

Additionally, a nationwide survey to identify individuals with disabilities was completed, leading to the creation of the Disability Information Management System software, containing data of approximately 3.3 million identified disabled persons, according to the minister.

Under the MIS-based Mother and Child Support Programme, the beneficiaries received Tk. 800 per month for up to 36 months. It was decided to expand the programme, through which the number of beneficiaries would increase from 1.5 million to more than 1.6 million in the next fiscal year.

As the population's life expectancy rises, the government is paying special attention to the well-being of the elderly population, the minister said. In FY2023-24, an allocation of Tk 42.6 billion was made to provide a monthly allowance of Tk 600 to 5.8 billion senior citizens. In the upcoming fiscal year, the number of beneficiaries will increase to 6 million and an allowance of Tk 43.5 billion will be made in the budget.

The government also decided to increase the number of widows and abandoned women receiving allowances from 2.5 million to 2.7 million, said Mahmood Ali. An allowance of Tk 18.44 billion will be allocated in the budget, the minister said.

The government is committed to safeguarding socially marginalised groups, including the Vede and Hijra communities. Currently, allowances are being provided to 6880 individuals from the

Hijra community to raise their living standards. “There is a plan to widen the coverage of this support to a total of 12,629 people in the next fiscal year. Besides this, we will continue to provide allowances for the Vede community. In the upcoming fiscal year, a total of 9,832 individuals from other socially backward groups will be brought under the coverage of allowances.”

Education stipends programme for all marginalised communities, including Hijra and Vede, will continue to extend educational opportunities to them.