By Mphatso Nkuonera
Lilongwe, Mana: Government says all is set for the implementation of the second payment of K20 billion Covid-19 Urban Cash Transfer Intervention (CUCI) in the country’s cities.
Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Principal Secretary responsible for Administration, Isaac Katopola, made this communication in a press statement released on Saturday.
“We wish to inform the public that the second disbursement for the MK20 billion Covid-19 Urban Cash Transfer Intervention (CUCI) in the country’s cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu is underway. The Intervention seeks to cushion 199, 000 vulnerable households against the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It will be implemented in geographically targeted poverty hotspots based on the cities’ social-economic profiles and household vulnerability assessment. Beneficiaries are, therefore, qualifying and selected ultra-poor low-income households who primarily derive their livelihoods from the informal sector, and depend on piece-work and petty trading,” reads the statement in part.
The payments to CUCI beneficiaries commenced in February, 2021 with monthly cash injections of MK35, 000 for three months from January to March 2021. The second disbursement targets two categories of vulnerable households.
“All the households that got their January and February payments amounting to MK70, 000 will receive their last payment of MK35, 000 for March whereas newly verified households will receive payments for February and March 2021, with their last payment scheduled for April 2021,” he adds.
The cash transfers are being delivered electronically through mobile money service providers Airtel Mobile Commerce Ltd and TNM Mpamba Ltd.
“The Government further wishes to inform stakeholders that efforts are underway to assist households to complete their registration for them to get their cash payments,” it continues.
Apart from the Malawi government this programme is being supported by UNICEF, the German Government through the KfW and GIZ, International Labour Organization, World Food Programme, the Irish Embassy, the European Union and the World Bank.
In an interview with Social commentator, Mustapha Hussein commended government for the project saying it will liberate people from urban poverty if the resources made available are put to proper use.
“This is a good programme we only expect that there shall be financial prudence so that the original backbone of this project is realized in the long run,” he said.
He added that the Chakwera led administration has set a good pace in fighting corruption by holding responsible everyone believed to have abused government resources.
“The state leadership has taken a serious course in making sure that our hard earned resources are safeguarded, it should be the duty of every Malawian, non-governmental organization and other development partners to achieve sustainable development after donations are gone,” Hussein added.
