Governance in Social Safety Net Programs
Creators: name: Ahmed, Tanjil
Publisher: name: The New Nation
Year: 2020

description: Though people around the world are trying to adjust to the 'New Normal', the present world is going through a terrible situation. The horrific coronavirus has already broken all the records of the 21st century. Billions of people are being directly or indirectly affected.  In all least-developed and middle-income countries, the economy, education, health, tourism, business, domestic, and foreign trade have collapsed. Bangladesh, an example of a rapidly advancing economy in Southeast Asia, has not escaped from the scourge of coronavirus. Addressing this issue, at the discretion of the Honourable Prime Minister, maximum efforts are being made to ensure food security and reduce health risks for marginal and lower-middle-income people under the Social Safety Net Programmes.
Accordingly, in the financial year 2019-2020, 74367 crore taka was allocated for SSNPs, which was 14.21% of the total budget and 2.58% of the total GDP. However, in the current fiscal year (2020–21), the government has allotted Tk 95,574 crore for social safety net programmes to fight against poverty and COVID-19-related issues. It is notable that the government's allocation for SSNPs has been eulogised because this allocation is carrying the need for marginalised and backward sections of society, where it has covered 16.83% of the total budget and 3.01% of the GDP (Finance Division, Ministry of Finance).Conversely, experts dread that this allocation is not yet enough to feed and sustain the huge number of low-income, marginalised, and backward sections.
At present, 125 SSNPs are ongoing under the supervision and authorization of 25 ministries in Bangladesh. Such SSNPs are classified into three categories: unconditional cash transfers, conditional cash transfers, and emergency funds for housing and rehabilitation. Among these, most common programmes are: old age allowance, widow allowances, vulnerable group feeding (VGF), vulnerable group development (VGD), food for work (FFW), work for money (WFM), disaster management, street children rehabilitation programmes, one house, one farm, social security policy support (SSPS) programmes, etc.Such social safety net programmes have been playing an important role in fighting against various local and national problems. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, SSNPs have helped marginalised, poor, and low-income people in distinct parts of the country.It is to be noted that soon after the outbreak of coronavirus in Bangladesh, a number of programmes and projects have been taken and initiated under the SSNPs in collaboration with various ministries.
Emphasised programmes are: the School Feeding Programme project that distributes nutritious food for 30 lakh primary school's students; a cash disbursement programme of tk. 2500 to 50 lakh families; providing 17,866 crores in budgetary support to the underprivileged; and a 3,000 crore loan programme for low-income professionals, farmers, and marginal and small traders without collateral. Moreover, a supply of 6,000 tonnes of food grains under the social security project; direct cash assistance to about 50 million people; a health protection project for 1.1 million Rohingya refugees; the distribution of 74,000 metric tonnes of rice worth tk. 251 crore at 10 tk. per kg under the OMS project; an allowance of tk. 615 crore for widows and old people under the Social Security Programme, etc. have also been provided. 
All these programmes and activities of the government under SSNPs are undoubtedly commendable. But there are various unexpected challenges in the implementation of these programmes and activities. Although the Prime Minister has drawn an instance regarding the punishments of the corrupted, in some cases there are notable impediments still alive, like local-level corruption, improper relief distribution, a partiality-based allowance list, lack of monitoring, lack of evaluation, lack of sustainability, an inadequate relief scheme, etc. Therefore, intending to ensure good governance and implement SSNPs properly, the government, ministries, and other concerned authorities should focus on proactive e-governance applications. In this regard, the following recommendations can address the good governance issues in the pandemic:
Firstly, the application of e-governance has to be ensured to fix all levels of corruption through maintaining G2G, G2C, and G2B communication.Secondly, transparency and accountability of the performance of all digital centres at the local level, like UDCs (Union Digital Centres), UICs (Upazila Information Centres), and PDCs (Powro Digital Centres), should be ensured. Similarly, the accountability, transparency, and efficiency of local representatives will be ensured through active monitoring and evaluation systems.Thirdly, disadvantaged and marginalised groups have to be especially focused when providing VGD, VGF, and other allowances, and political biases have to be removed to ensure the exercise of democracy. Fourthly, coordination, cooperation, and increased use of ICT tools have to be ensured to safeguard transparency when providing services to beneficiaries. Finally, sector-based subsidies for ensuring proper distribution of relief have to be raised. It can be assumed that the situation after the coronavirus outbreak will be more difficult and challenging for everyone, as well as every sector of the country. Therefore, the government should think about identifying strategies to help the middle class and lower-middle-class people during their hardship.