50 lakh poor households to obtain cash aid through MFS from Might 14
The government's proceed to provide cash assist with 50 lakh poor families hit by the coronavirus pandemic is finally taking off, with the four important mobile financial companies set to provide it from May 14.
The disbursement will be kicked off by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who'll give Tk 2,500 each to ten families, said Md. Shah Kamal, senior secretary of the ministry of disaster operations and relief.
The MFS operators must send the Tk 2,500 with the cash-out charge to each family and for disbursement purpose, the federal government will bear just Tk 15 (0.6 %) for each and every disbursement, explained Tanvir A Mishuk, managing director of Nagad, a joint venture of the postal division and an exclusive firm which will disburse the best amount of Tk 425 crore.
"As our cash-out demand is 1.45 per cent, we will send an additional Tk 36.25 with the federal government fund of Tk 2,500 to each family group. And we will acquire Tk 15 from the federal government for that."
The other operators will also get Tk 15 from the federal government but since their cash-out charge is higher they have to send that whole cash-out value to the beneficiary families, he added.
Market leader bKash can disburse Tk 375 crore, Rocket Tk 250 crore and SureCash Tk 200 crore.
In another approach, the federal government has also planned to give food aid to the poor and low-income families who are battling food insecurity and hunger.
Prior to the food assistance disbursement begins, the federal government will complete the distribution of Quick Response (QR) code-based card.
Only the cardholders are certain to get food support from the government, which will eliminate corruption along the way, said NM Zeaul Alam, senior secretary at the info and Communication Technology (ICT) Division under the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and IT.
With the view to plugging the loopholes in the current distribution system, the ICT and Disaster Management and Relief ministries have created a database of poor households to aid.
The database primarily has 50 lakh entries but once it is fully ready to go there would be 1.20 crore beneficiary households, said officials at the two ministries.
The data source and the issuance of smart cards can help remove duplication, eradicate ghost lists and reduce corruption linked to the government's safety net programs, Alam said.
The Access to Details programme (a2i) beneath the ICT Division is assisting to develop the program for the database.
The initiative comes at the same time when the countrywide shutdown, enforced to fight the coronavirus outbreak, has forced thousands of people to stay half-fed or unfed and government officials are generally seizing subsidised rice, designed for distribution among poor and low-income people, from the illegitimate possession of a section of municipality representatives and members of the ruling Awami League.
The government had an idea to develop a data source and issue smart cards earlier however the coronavirus outbreak has precipitated the procedure, Alam said.
"We expect that the data source will prepare yourself within Ramadan," he explained.
The database provides the National Identification (NID) number of recipients, their cellular phone numbers, address, the person's age and the amount of family members in a way that all duplications and different irregularities could be avoided, according to officials.
"If any beneficiary does not have the quantities, we will definitely involve them. But our target will be to incorporate as much facts as feasible," Alam said.
The NID and mobile phone number are the two key tools to identifying a person.
"We will never be rigid on NID and mobile quantity but we want to get the input from the regional offices," he added.
NAGAD STANDS BY PM IN FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
Nagad yesterday donated Tk 60 lakh to the Primary Minister's relief and welfare fund in a ceremony held at her office to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to the Primary Minister, received Nagad's donation cheque on her presence.
"We are going through a pandemic which has identified itself as the global crisis of our period. We consider it as our duty to stand by the people of the country during such a crisis. That is a war we should conquer. We have confidence in saving the people saves the country," Mishuk said.
