WB keen to help govt improve social protection of ultra-poor

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FE Report
The World Bank has expressed its interest to support the government initiative to improve the social protection system by strengthening the rural and urban safety net programmes in order to reduce vulnerability of the ultra-poor in the country.
'The proposed National Social Protection Project (NSPP) of the government envisages addressing the important sources of vulnerability and providing support mechanisms for mitigating any future shocks as well as reducing the existing vulnerability of the poor,' the World Bank said in its information note Sunday.
Under the initiative, providing cash assistance and cash for work for the union-level poor through the local government system with enhanced accountability and transparency is being contemplated to strengthen the rural safety net.
Under a new urban safety net programme, cash assistance will also be provided to vulnerable households and poor children living in peri-urban areas surrounding the capital city of Dhaka.
Under local government supervision, setting up of early childhood development clubs at community level is also being envisaged to meet educational, nutritional and other needs of the poor young children.
The local government institutions, with the help of non-government organisations, will play a leadership role in implementing various components of this proposed initiative.
Union Parishads will administer the rural safety net programme and childhood development clubs, while the municipal governments will implement the urban safety net programmes, the WB note added.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives will coordinate implementation of NSPP, which also seeks to strengthen capacity of the local government institutions through this initiative.