VGF programme, rural ultra-poor and access to food
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
THE new policy guideline, reportedly under preparation now, for the government-administered vulnerable group-feeding (VGF) programme should aim at effective targeted intervention for strengthening the social safety net, particularly in the areas of food security. The government has not yet explained amply well the reasons for undertaking the exercise to finalise the guideline. However, the available reports indicate that the new guideline would be purported to bringing about a major operational change in the VGF programme. In its present form, the programme is meant for benefiting mainly the poor, destitute and socially disadvantaged people. Its coverage, according to official figures, extends now to over 7.0 million people. And the latest media reports said three-fourths of the 7.05 million VGF beneficiaries would require to pay a fraction of the actual price of the food grain (rice) that is supplied to them, following the operationalisation of the new guideline. They would then be provided, no more, with food at free of cost. The price of VGF rice has not yet been fixed. But it might range between Tk 5.0 and Tk. 6.0 a kg. The remaining 1.76 million listed beneficiaries of the VGF who include ultra poor and distressed women would continue to have access to food at free of cost.
Though the reasons for making such changes in this major food safety net programme for the poor and other vulnerable sections of the population have not been given yet, it has been indicated that the proposed move will particularly help discourage the act of begging. But there will also be a saving of a lot of public money -- more than Taka 3.0 billion this fiscal even if the government sells food to VGF cardholders at a price as low as Tk 5.0 a kg. Under the budget for the current fiscal, the provision has been kept for distribution of 815,000 metric tonnes of food under the VGF programme; the food and disaster management ministry is to get the major part -- 550,000 tonnes -- out of this allocation. As far as the operational aspects of the VGF programme in its present form is concerned, it is important to ensure that there is no misuse or pilferage of food. The scope for issuance of any fake VGF card must also be effectively minimised. Furthermore, field-level monitoring arrangements do need to be streamlined to fulfill the stated goals and objectives of the programme. In this context, the proposed guideline should address such issues in order to make VGF programme operationally more effective and more purposeful.
The government has otherwise been increasing the number of beneficiaries every year since the introduction of the VGF programme. Inadequate employment opportunities continue to make conditions of living tougher for the hard-core rural poor, distressed women and children. This is also one of the major factors for more and more people coming within the fold of VGF programme. The number of new entrants in the labour market every year is estimated at 2.0 million. In terms of contribution to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), the share of agriculture sector, the main provider of jobs in the rural areas, has relatively declined over the years. Its labour-absorbing capacity has also been lost, to a great extent. And to add to the woes of the rural population, the public development expenditure has not increased to the desired level in recent years because of poor implementation capacity of the government agencies and resource constraints.
This situation makes the case stronger for all-out policy supports on a high gear for facilitating creation of the maximum possible number of employment opportunities in the rural areas. Otherwise, the poor will continue to look forward to government dole for their survival. They direly need year-round jobs. The local government institutions at union and upazila (sub-district) levels can also play an important role in rural job creation, provided they are properly empowered to discharge their functional responsibilities matching the expectations of the people at the grassroots.
Though the reasons for making such changes in this major food safety net programme for the poor and other vulnerable sections of the population have not been given yet, it has been indicated that the proposed move will particularly help discourage the act of begging. But there will also be a saving of a lot of public money -- more than Taka 3.0 billion this fiscal even if the government sells food to VGF cardholders at a price as low as Tk 5.0 a kg. Under the budget for the current fiscal, the provision has been kept for distribution of 815,000 metric tonnes of food under the VGF programme; the food and disaster management ministry is to get the major part -- 550,000 tonnes -- out of this allocation. As far as the operational aspects of the VGF programme in its present form is concerned, it is important to ensure that there is no misuse or pilferage of food. The scope for issuance of any fake VGF card must also be effectively minimised. Furthermore, field-level monitoring arrangements do need to be streamlined to fulfill the stated goals and objectives of the programme. In this context, the proposed guideline should address such issues in order to make VGF programme operationally more effective and more purposeful.
The government has otherwise been increasing the number of beneficiaries every year since the introduction of the VGF programme. Inadequate employment opportunities continue to make conditions of living tougher for the hard-core rural poor, distressed women and children. This is also one of the major factors for more and more people coming within the fold of VGF programme. The number of new entrants in the labour market every year is estimated at 2.0 million. In terms of contribution to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), the share of agriculture sector, the main provider of jobs in the rural areas, has relatively declined over the years. Its labour-absorbing capacity has also been lost, to a great extent. And to add to the woes of the rural population, the public development expenditure has not increased to the desired level in recent years because of poor implementation capacity of the government agencies and resource constraints.
This situation makes the case stronger for all-out policy supports on a high gear for facilitating creation of the maximum possible number of employment opportunities in the rural areas. Otherwise, the poor will continue to look forward to government dole for their survival. They direly need year-round jobs. The local government institutions at union and upazila (sub-district) levels can also play an important role in rural job creation, provided they are properly empowered to discharge their functional responsibilities matching the expectations of the people at the grassroots.