By Andrew Magombo and Priscilla Phiri
Lilongwe, August 2, Mana: Minister of Gender, Social Welfare and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati says government has put in place various measures to mitigate any rising challenges in the social cash transfer program (STCP).
Kaliati made the remarks recently in Parliament while responding to supplementary questions from legislators over her ministerial statement on the state of social cash transfer programs in Malawi.
According to the minister, at least six out of 28 districts are currently paying beneficiaries through banks and mobile money platforms as the program is going digital moving away from manual disbursement.
“The electronic payment is expected to improve cash delivery in general and specifically preserve dignity of the beneficiaries as such we have arrangements with service providers to provide efficient network coverage,” she said.
Some of the districts that have access to the E-payment are Balaka, Thyolo, Blantyre, Ntcheu, Nkhotakota and Karonga as the remaining districts are expected join by mid next year.
Kaliati said: “We did agree that beneficiaries should have phones therefore emerging challenges should be reported so that network coverage should be sustained through provision of towers for example,”
The Minister also emphasized that the beneficiary households of STCP programs are not expected to deprive others equal opportunities by being enlisted in other public works programs as other legislators expressed worry of selection criteria.
“The Ministries of Agriculture, Gender and Transport have various programs which we are monitoring to ensure that many Malawians benefit from these initiatives expected to improve livelihood of the targeted households,” said Kaliati.
She; however, downplayed urgency in increasing allocation for peri-urban areas in response to Lilongwe City Centre legislator George Zulu’s request for consideration of areas like Senti, Mgona and Mtandire where several urban cash transfer programs are being undertaken already.
Meanwhile, President Lazarus Chakwera through a recent virtual interview with Al Jazeera Network television described the social cash transfer program as an effective pillar capable of boosting the country’s economy.
Chakwera said government acknowledges that STCP cannot solve all prevailing economic challenges but through such initiatives supported by National Economic Empowerment Fund, creation of jobs and sustenance of small scale business is conceivable.
“If you ask the hundreds of thousands of people that have benefitted they will tell a different story that is sometimes not being told when the emphasis is on the demonstrations,” he said.
