Economist and worker leaders Friday said that the businessmen majority cabinet helped allocate TK 5000 crore incentive package for industrial workers to combat Corona Virus effect.

They apprehend misappropriation of the fund if the money is not directly paid to the workers account. They suggested not to compensate factories who have capacity to cope-up the situation.

A true enforcement with involving workers can ensure electronic transfer of money to them so that phony worker and sham factory cannot be emerged, they said. As many as 22 members of the current 47-member council of ministers are businessmen.

“The fund allocated for factories as the government is backed by businessmen. The fund should not be used to upgrade their business. It only should uses for those factories who are really effected by Corona,” Kalpona Akter, the founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity told Business Mirror.

Only 900 out of 5000 factories are effected for the virus attack as their orders had scrapped, Kalpona said adding that most of the factories had order for March which they completed shipping.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has data base by which it can paid salary to the workers through mobile banking, Kalpona said.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman told Business Mirror that the scheme is good as buyers deferred orders and many factories would face working capital shortage.

“The BGMEA with involving workers should enforce a payment regime so that worker really should get the money,” Mr. Rahman added

Ahsan H. Mansur is Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh said the BGMEA have payroll and electronic money transfer system. They will able to paid teh benefit to the workers if they desire, he added.