A total US$ 30 million, after the deduction of amounts received from Prime Minister Welfare fund, is required for full payment of compensation to the Rana Plaza injured workers and the family members of deceased and missing workers, said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) yesterday. That includes claims of New Wave Bottom workers paid separately by Primark, as well as long term medical care and allied costs for injured workers. The estimated amount also includes an estimation of potential supplementary payments, reports UNB. So far, the amounts either received in the Trust Fund or spent otherwise for the benefit of Rana Plaza workers and expected to be recognized as contribution to the Trust Fund total approximately $ 24 million, it said. The remaining 30 per cent of awards will be paid to the claimants as soon as funds become available at the Trust Fund. On April 8, the Rana Plaza Claims Administration has made available approximately Tk 31 crore to eligible claimants. Payments were made to injured workers, dependants of the deceased and missing workers of Rana Plaza building collapse. Tk 31 crore, which is approximately 30 per cent of total awards, was paid out through Dutch Bangla Bank accounts to 2,968 eligible claimants, including 2,277 dependants from deceased workers, 282 dependants of missing workers and 409 injured workers. The above payment is in addition to 40 per cent payment of all awards after deduction amounting to approximately BDT 29.40 crore which was paid through Dutch Bangla Bank accounts to 2,770 eligible dependants of deceased and missing workers and to injured person in five separate installments from September to December 2014. In addition, approximately Tk 15.50 crore was paid through bKash as initial payment to injured workers, dependants of the deceased and missing workers as well as non-injured workers on 23 April 2014. These payments are authorised by the multi-stakeholder Rana Plaza Coordination Committee, and paid out of the Trust Fund set up for the purpose of providing compensation to the Rana Plaza injured and the families of the deceased and missing workers. With these payments, in total approximately Tk 76 crore, equivalent to $ 9.85 million has so far been paid to the Rana Plaza injured workers, dependants of the deceased and missingworkers. This amounts to 70 per cent of the total awards approved by the Commi-ssioners, after deduction of amounts paid to the injured and families of the deceased and missing workers from Prime Minister Welfare Fund and initial payment of Tk 50,000 from the Trust Fund. The total amount for all issued awards is approximately Tk 126 crore equivalent to $ 16.4 million. As part of the entitlement under the ILO Convention 121, the Coordination Committee is about to finalise an arrangement for long-term medical care and allied costs for the injured workers. A total of 2871 claims have been received from the Rana Plaza injured workers and dependants of deceased and missing workers. Out of these, 2839 claims have been reviewed by RPCA, approved by the Commissioners, and authorised for payments. The remaining 32 claims plus approximately 20-30 additional deceased claims that may yet be filed will be included in the final instalment.
Source: https://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=255456:70pc-of-payments-cleared&catid=108:business-finance&Itemid=152
