No middlemen, SSN allowances direct into beneficiaries' mobile wallets: PM.

Rent-seeking intermediaries getting eliminated, state annuities for the vulnerable beneficiary groups will henceforth land direct into their digital wallets under a devised smart disbursement system, as declared by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The year-long coronavirus pandemic has upended most fractional ways of life and business and social customs but given rise to newer mechanisms of distance work, supply, learning, interaction and the like. One most urgent task was reaching subsistence allowances to people under lockdown and home isolation amid the initial dread of the invading deadly virus. Crisis-driven digital innovations in the era of artificial intelligence helped out. In affluent countries like Japan, the USA and others cash aid worth several thousand dollars was sent direct into the digital wallets of all adult citizens in home- stay losing jobs. Two main objectives were achieved: people's livelihoods were compensated, and demand in economy was created through consumption stimulation. There were complaints of irregularities in listing and assistance distribution in Bangladesh during the corona onslaughts. That loopholes are being mended by digital means now that Banglsdesh is advancing in digitization and ICT innovations. At such a groundbreaking distribution programme Thursday the premier said the government is sending allowances under social safety net (SSN) programmes directly into the beneficiaries' mobile wallets to "get rid of middlemen". 'We have been trying to send different allowances directly to the hands of the actual beneficiaries for long so nobody is there between the beneficiaries and the donors so that they can use the money for whatever they want,' she said. The prime minister was inaugurating different allowances' distribution ceremony at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. She said the government wants the allowances being given to different segments of destitute people reach their hands properly, and the job is being done by the mobile financial service (MFS) operators Nagad and bKash. Mentioning that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had started different works for rural people, such as rural social-welfare activity, to change the fate and livelihood of the people, Sheikh Hasina said they (Awami League), after coming to power, have taken up the unfinished schemes of Bangabandhu and are working for their (rural...