Digital transactions ensure transparency

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday said digital financial transactions saved time and expenses of social safety net programme beneficiaries across the country, and ensured transparency of transactions.

The programme, titled "Social security allowance: use of digital payment system" was organised by Bangla daily Prothom Alo in association with USAID and World Vision at the newspaper's office in the capital.

Speakers said there are still some challenges, but it can be overcome through raising awareness on digital security.

Speaking at the meeting, Senior Secretary Shamsul Alam, a member of the Planning Commission, said only 13 percent of people were under the coverage of the social safety net programme in 2009, but now around 58 percent people have been brought under this programme. Due to increased usage of technology, the problem of middlemen has been resolved, and now poor and pregnant women, widows and the elderly get their allowances directly.

He mentioned security-related problems, like hacking PIN numbers, as "teething problems" that mobile literacy can overcome, and asked service providers to reduce their service charges.

Fred Witteveen, country chief of World Vision Bangladesh, said they are providing long-term financial assistance to the rural poor, especially women and youths, which is impacting future generations.

"The effectiveness of special safety net programme has been increased because of digital transactions," he added.

Syed Nurul Basir, director of Department of Social Services, said the social welfare ministry has implemented the G2P (government-to-people) only in 18 districts of five divisions, but they are confident of implementing the project all over the country by 2021.

Director of Institute of Public Health Nutrition Khalilur Rahman, Deputy Secretary of PMO Innovation Unit Monirul Islam, Chief External and Corporate Officer of mobile financial service Bkash Sheikh Monirul Islam, National Project Director of "Sopno", a project in coordination with the LGRD ministry and UNDP, also spoke at the event.