NID-Linked SIM Now Mandatory for Social Safety Allowances
The Department of Social Services has made it mandatory to use SIM cards registered with the beneficiary’s National Identity Card (NID) in order to receive allowance benefits. The new system, which replaced the earlier Government-to-Person (G2P) procedure, came into effect from July.
As a result, the previous provision of using any family member’s mobile number in the allowance application form has now been abolished. From now on, beneficiaries can receive their allowance not only through Nagad or bKash but also via any financial service provider.
On April 15, the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance issued a circular in this regard. It stated that in the case of social security programs and other cash distributions, beneficiaries themselves will select the mobile financial service provider or bank (agent banking) through which they will receive the payments. Ministries, divisions, departments, or agencies will not be permitted to enter into agreements with any specific financial institution.
Speaking on the matter, Director of the Social Security Division of the Department of Social Services, Md. Mosharraf Hossain, said, “Many beneficiaries who previously used one institution’s app to receive allowances have switched to another since July. From July onward, beneficiaries under social security programs and other cash distribution schemes have been able to select their own mobile financial service provider or bank (agent banking). For this, under the new rule, the allowance recipient must register a SIM card against his or her own NID. The allowance will then be disbursed to that specific mobile number. However, a very small number of beneficiaries who do not use phones will be monitored separately by the local social services office.”
Currently, around 12.8 million people receive social protection allowances from the Department of Social Services. Previously, 75 percent of this amount was disbursed in cash and 25 percent through bKash. Under the new system, beneficiaries are now able to directly access their benefits via their registered mobile phones.
