Govt expands social cash transfer programme in North-West

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 12:39:51 +0000

By JACK MAPAPAYI

GOVERNMENT through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has expanded the social cash programme to all the districts across the country.

The programme started in 2003 and to date 78 districts across the country were benefiting from the programme.

But Government has increased funding towards the programme which has resulted in the expansion of the programme to other districts.

According to senior social welfare officer in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Mr Mwamba said Government had increased the funding towards the programme to a tune of about K500 million in the 2017 national budget. “Apart from that, there is another K250 million from cooperating partners, so roughly we are talking of in excess of over K700 million and that is why we are expanding the programme to all the districts in the country,” he said.

Mr Mwamba was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on the North-Western Province permanent secretary Ephraim Mateyo at his office yesterday.

He said four districts: Kalumbila, Mushindamo, Mwinilunga and Solwezi would also start benefitting from the programme.

He said according to an evaluation conducted by the Ministry, the programme has been very successful in reducing extreme poverty amongst the beneficiaries.

“And over time, Government has tremendously supported the programme because of the impact it has on beneficiaries,” he said. And Mr Mateyo said the programme was encouraging as it attended to the needs of the needy in society.

He said the programme was not based on hearsay but that it was a feasible one which every Zambian was able to see with their own eyes.

He also urged officers in the Ministry to educate the people so that they knew who qualified to benefit from the programme.

“We don’t want people to just take advantage of such programmes, let the vulnerable who are entitled to the programme benefit,” he said.