The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved an additional $500 million loan to bolster the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to manage the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the country’s economy and the public health.
“This package will build on ADB’s ongoing collaboration with Bangladesh on structural reforms by supporting government efforts to speed up the country’s social and economic recovery,” said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa. “We will work closely with the government and development partners to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic on the poor and most vulnerable, particularly those affected by job losses in small and medium enterprises and the informal sector.”
The loan is expected to benefit over 15 million poor and vulnerable people in Bangladesh. Around 1.5 million workers, mostly women, in export-oriented industries will receive extended salary support while doctors, nurses, and medical workers fighting COVID-19 in government-run hospitals will receive special honorarium. The government’s social protection programs for people of old-age and women in distress will be expanded to cover all eligible senior citizens and women in the 100 poorest local government units in the country. At least 2 million poor families across the country will be given about $23 each, while about 1 million poor and vulnerable families will receive food support of 20 kilograms per month during the pandemic emergency period. Affected industries and sectors, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are also eligible for loans with subsidized interest.
Implementation of ADB’s COVID-19 response will be supported through a $1 million technical assistance grant to help the government improve its institutional capacity, and introduce new tools for service delivery, develop a gender-responsive plan to improve the social safety net, and improve monitoring and evaluation capacity. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is planning to provide $250 million in cofinancing with ADB to support the government’s program.
Bangladesh has taken prompt actions to control the spread of the disease and manage its impact on health, welfare, and the economy under its COVID-19 response plan.
Original source: ADB
Published on 07 May 2020
