As a nation, it is the duty of the authorities in charge to care for each and every single citizen within its borders. The Covid-19 pandemic, beyond the thousands of lives it took, also left Bangladesh with millions of newly poor, and as we slowly but surely navigate our way in this post-pandemic world, we must remember to protect those who need the most protection.
It is also clear that Bangladesh, especially with its limited resources and the current volatility in the world, simply cannot do this alone, and will continue to require assistance to do right by its people.
To that end, news that the European Union (EU) has transferred €35 million to Bangladesh to advance the national social protection reforms is encouraging, and will aid us in our ongoing test to have robust social security plans in place.
Indeed, Bangladesh has done its part in earning this assistance; in the fiscal year 2021-2022, the government strengthened its social protection institutional arrangements, increasing the number of beneficiaries paid through the government to people (G2P) system. Furthermore, it also further developed the current single registry into a comprehensive database of social protection beneficiaries called the Digital Workers' Registry -- for better targeting, inclusion, and monitoring.
Credit must be given where due and it is clear to see digitization continuing to pay dividends for our nation. At a time of such economic uncertainty, is something we must continue to lean on, not just for facilitating our social safety net programs -- which must continue to be prioritized and not treated as an afterthought if we are serious about once again lowering our poverty rates to at least pre-pandemic levels -- but also across each and every sector.
