Speakers at a post budget virtual meeting on Sunday opined that transforming the country’s huge number of persons with disabilities will not be possible with merely the allowance oriented budgetary allocation for them.
They observed that the allocation for persons with disabilities is only 1.96% of social safety- net budget which is 0.33% of the total budget which is almost negligible against the demand.
Access Bangladesh Foundation (ABF) arranged a virtual reaction meeting on “National Budget 2020-21: Status of persons with disabilities ” on Sunday in association with Democratic Budget Movement, Centre on Budget and Policy of Dhaka University, Manusher Jonno Foundation, UKaid, Disability Rights Fund and its partner Disabled Peoples Organizations-ABF, DCF, NCDW, Sitakund Federation, Turning Point and WDDF.
The meeting was moderated by Co-Founder and Executive Director of Access Bangladesh Foundation Albert Mollah.
Mr. Albert Mollah presented an analytical reaction on the national budget 2020-2021. He thanked Finance Minister for increasing the allowance receiver number of poor persons with disabilities into two lac and fifty five thousands.
Passing reaction Mr. Mollah said “allocation for persons with disabilities is only 1.96% of social safety- net budget which is 0.33% of the total budgetwhich is almost negligible against the demand and the budget is prepared without concern of persons with disabilities or their organizations.
45 crore and 92 lac taka is allotted for rehabilitation and training of widows, orphans and persons with disabilities in combine. Allocation for persons with disabilities should have been mentioned separately here”.
He said the budget lays emphasis on allowance which is 85.33% of total social safety net for the persons with disabilities. This year education stipend for the children with disabilities has been increased by 10,000 more which means two (2) stipends extra per Union where 90% children with disabilities get no access to education.
He alleged that the budget does not reflect any action or plan for the safety of vulnerable persons with disabilities during COVID-19 crisis. The allocation will not be able to increase the enrollment of the children with disabilities in education. Though the initiatives are taken for separate plan and budget for engaging persons with disabilities in business and production, but it is not made clear to us.
“Allocation for the persons with disabilities is allotted under the Ministry of Social welfare, but in inclusive budgeting it is necessary to allocate budget for them under every ministry. Though we have the strong tools like UNCRPD and Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013,we could not make any specific action plan for the development and empowerment of persons with disabilities”, he added.
Speakers recommended to reconsider some demands such as identifying the accurate number of persons with disabilities to make right plan for them, food ration for next 9-12 months to the poorest persons with disabilities, increase the allowance for persons with disabilities up to 1500 taka per month under social safety net.
They also suggested to allot budget to create self-employment for jobless youth with disabilities, allot fund by forming Assistive Technology Fund and Information Accessibility Fund putting emphasis on IT education for persons with disabilities f 100% infrastructural and informational accessibility for persons with disabilities, allocation for creating jobs for them, ministry wise allocation for inclusive development for the persons with disabilities in the proposed budget.