2 million people to get safety net allowance through bKash
Beneficiaries in 24 districts across the country will get their respective allowance – for being aged, widowed, financially insolvent, or disabled – through bKash
The Ministry of Social Welfare will disburse social safety allowances among two million people across the country through bKash using a Government to Person (G2P) system.
bKash, the country's largest mobile financial service provider, recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Social Welfare to facilitate the beneficiaries, reads a press release on Monday.
Under the agreement, the government will disburse: an old age allowance; allowances for widowed, deserted and destitute women; allowances for the financially insolvent and disabled; and a stipend for disabled students, the elderly, disabled and widows in 24 districts through bKash.
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Nuruzzaman Ahmed, minister for Social Welfare, was present as the chief guest at the signing ceremony held in the conference room of the ministry. Mohammad Zainul Bari, secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare was also present on the occasion.
CEO of bKash Kamal Quadir and Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer of bKash Major General Sheikh Md. Monirul Islam (retd) were present at the event as well.
This social safety net allowance was introduced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the rate of Tk100 per person in the 1997-1998 fiscal year. The present government has gradually increased the per capita allowance to Tk500 in the 2016-2017 fiscal year. However, people with disabilities get an allowance of Tk750 each.
Beneficiaries of these social safety net allowances can easily cash out the money through bKash in any part of the country without any additional cost.
Prior to this, allowances were distributed among beneficiaries under pilot projects through the G2P system.
Since 2016, bKash has successfully distributed the financial aid of various government projects to more than seven million beneficiaries, the press statement notes.
