The European Union (EU) and Germany transferred €80 million (around Tk 800 crore) to Bangladesh to strengthen key areas of its social security system and build resilience to Covid-19, focusing on affected workers in export-oriented industries. The establishment in October 2020 of the Government’s Social Protection Programme for Unemployed and Distressed Workers in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG), Leather goods, and Footwear Industries features an essential response measure, said media release today.
German Ambassador Peter Fahrenholtz said, “We are pleased to join forces with the EU and support the Government of Bangladesh in mitigating the harmful effects of the covid-19 pandemic on vulnerable workers in key export sectors like the RMG and leather sectors.”
According to the program guidelines, eligible workers can receive up to three monthly payments. They are identified in coordination with the employers’ associations, which include Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), the Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB), and the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters’ Association (BFLLFEA).
The program is the first joint disbursement from the €113 million grant made available by the EU and Germany as part of Team Europe’s response to fight Covid-19 and its consequences in Bangladesh. Funds are channeled through the budget support program on National Social Security Strategy reforms in Bangladesh.
