Budget 2023-24: Allowances and beneficiaries to be increased

The allocation in the budget for the next fiscal year 2023-24 is slightly increasing in the social security sector. 

Moreover, allowances in some programs are also increasing. The government is increasing this allowance again after seven years, 50 or 100 taka per person in different sectors. The number of beneficiaries will also be increased.

In the budget of the current fiscal year 2022-23, the allocation for the social security sector was Tk 1,13,576 crore. According to sources from the finance department of the finance ministry, 1,26,200 crores can be allocated to this sector in the next 2023-24 financial year.

Experts say that the government cannot provide the amount that should be allocated to the social security sector. For this reason, some programs are shown in this sector, which in reality are not social protection programs at all. The government sees all those sectors as social protection programs as a strategy to show more total allocation in these sectors.

There are eight programs for cash allowance in the upcoming fiscal year including old age allowance, widow and widower allowance, disability allowance, allowance to improve the quality of life of Hijra, Vedic and backward communities; mother and child support scheme, honorary allowance for freedom fighters, medical and honorary allowance for martyrs‍‍` families and war injured freedom fighters and retirement allowance for government servants

In the current financial year, Tk 41,821 crores have been allocated for these eight programs. In the next financial year, the allocation may be increased to Tk 45,000 crore for the same programs.

Sources in the Finance Department said that out of the Tk 45,000 crore, Tk 30,000 crore will be spent on the retirement allowance or pension of around 8 lakh retired government employees.

However, after seven years, the government is slightly increasing the monthly allowance of the country‍‍`s poor elderly men and women, widows and widowers and the disabled.

The monthly allowance of old age allowance beneficiaries is being increased from Tk 500 to Tk 600. Besides, the amount of monthly allowance for widows is being increased by Tk 50 and will be totaled Tk 550.

In December 2015, the government issued a notification on the National Pay Scale for government employees. Then the salary was almost doubled at once. The allowance for poor elderly men and women and widows was Tk 400 per month. 

In 2016-17, their allowance was increased to Tk 500 which didn‍‍`t increase after that. However, the purchasing power has decreased due to inflation.

Currently, old age allowance is being given to 57,01,000 men and women. According to the sources of the finance department, this allowance will be increased by 1,00,000 in the next budget. Apart from this, currently 24,75,000 widows are given monthly allowance of Tk 500. One lakh beneficiaries will be increased in this program

Now a total of 23,65,000 disabled people get allowance. In the next financial year, this number will be increased to 29,00,000. However, the amount of allowance is being kept at Tk 850 as before.

Allocation for food security will be increase

Around Tk 15,408 crore is allocated for the ongoing fiscal year in 11 categories under food security and job creation programs such as TR, GR, VWB, OMS, food friendly program, VGF etc. in the current financial year. In the next fiscal year, the allocation for this sector may increase by Tk 2000 crore.

The allocation for student stipend in the budget may increase by Tk 100 crore. At present, the allocation for this sector is 4,417 crores. However, the scholarship amount will not b