The government should go further with proposed reforms to the Test Relief and Vulnerable Group Feeding food programs.
Poverty rights groups and donor agencies have long complained that current systems for distributing subsidised cheap food to the poor in Bangladesh are horribly inefficient.
In response to such concerns, different government ministries have been examining possible alternatives, including introducing food vouchers as possible replacements for the TR and VGF programs.
Under the newly announced program, which will allow people to pay a token price of Tk15 for a kilogram of rice, the government hopes it will be able to cover more people in need than before.
While this is a worthwhile aim, we are concerned it does not go far enough to tackle the past problems associated with these programs.
It is well-established that food assistance provided under these schemes has often been prone to mismanagement and corruption. Many people in need miss out because they are overlooked by, or are not part of, patronage networks run by corrupt officials, and some food assistance itself is siphoned off and sold elsewhere.
We believe that a better way can be found to root out these problems.
Digitalisation of ID records is making it cheaper and simpler to efficiently identify groups in need. The rapid spread of mobile money transfer platforms means there is no reason why such improved data management could not allow the provision of food assistance to be readily replaced by direct provision of cash to buy food through mobile accounts.
This could ensure that not only were recipients better targeted, but that there would be less need to spend money on overheads and less scope for subsidy funds to be wasted through corruption.
In the long run, as Bangladesh’s economy and food production grows, we hope and expect fewer people to need this type of assistance as more people become enabled to work themselves out of poverty.
Nonetheless, it remains vital that tax-payer funds committed for food assistance are spent as effectively as possible so they are not wasted, and reach those who need it most.
