Transparency in financial aid disbursement among poor urged

Dhaka, July 18 – Speakers at a virtual dialogue on Saturday urged the government to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution of financial aid among poor people of the country during the coronavirus pandemic.
They also said the income of 90 percent people has declined due to the COVID-19 fallout and so the financial aid under the social safety net needs to be disbursed properly among the worst-affected people.
They came up with the opinion at a webinar titled ‘Poverty and Unemployment in Bangladesh’ organized by the Economic Development Research Organization (EDRO).
Dr Asadul Islam, Director of the Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES) and Professor of Economics department at Monash University in Australia,” We have to think about the long term effects of the pandemic. The health and economy should be given priority,” he also said.
Dr Islam said, “except the government officials nobody is getting salaries properly in this situation. So, the fund of the social safety programme should be provided properly among poor,” headed.
Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) underscored the need for diversification of ago products to boost the country’s economy.
“The pandemic has put a lot of challenges ahead so we have to overcome it taking proper action plan,” he also said.
Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam, Director (Rural Economics and Management Division) of Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) said they are working with the government for the sake of country’s poor.
Md. Tanjil Hossain, associate professor of Economics department of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University and the Executive Director of EDRO, said the poverty has gone up in the country so the poor people should be provided with more assistance.
“The pandemic created around 1.65 crore new poor. So there is no alternative to provide financial assistance under the social safety net of the government. Transparency and accountability must be ensured here,” he also said.- UNB