বাংলাThe World Bank says an additional 2.85 million people in Bangladesh could be lifted out of poverty by better targeting the Family Card programme and coordinating it with existing cash assistance and food programmes. The institution stressed the need to improve social protection targeting to make the best use of limited public resources.
The analysis was published in the World Bank’s latest Bangladesh Development Update on Tuesday (October 6). The report said social protection, energy and agricultural subsidies play an important role in protecting poor and vulnerable people.
However, according to the World Bank, nearly half of the poorest households are still outside social protection programmes. The report therefore highlighted the need to improve beneficiary selection so that government resources reach people who need them most.
The World Bank identified a Dynamic Social Registry as an important tool in this process. The integrated system could help select beneficiaries based on data and allow new beneficiaries to be included when their circumstances require support.
According to the World Bank’s estimates, better targeting of the Family Card programme alone could keep an additional 1.58 million people out of poverty. If the Family Card is coordinated with existing cash and food assistance programmes and targeted more effectively, another 2.85 million people could potentially be lifted out of poverty.
The World Bank recommended linking the Dynamic Social Registry with the Family Card, the proposed Farmer Card and other assistance and subsidy programmes. Such coordination could help reduce gaps in coverage and beneficiary targeting.
The institution said Bangladesh should move away from broad-based subsidies toward more targeted support systems that can respond quickly during times of crisis. The objective would be to ensure that public assistance reaches people with the greatest need more effectively.
The World Bank’s analysis places the Family Card within a broader effort to strengthen social protection through better targeting, data-based beneficiary selection and coordination among different assistance programmes.
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