Irish Aid injects 20.5m euro in social protection

The country’s social cash transfer initiative has been given a boost following an increase of a grant by Irish Aid from 13 million euro in the past nine years to 20.5 million euro this year.

Speaking at the signing ceremony of the grant in Lilongwe on Thursday, Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe said the grant will protect vulnerable populations against adverse socio-economic conditions by meeting their everyday needs.

The present grant programme targets Balaka and Ntcheu districts, where the beneficiary households have increased from 8 300 to 24 500.

Said Gwengwe: “There is evidence from an impact evaluation done locally and internationally, which shows that social cash transfer programmes enhance household purchasing power, increase savings and investments among the beneficiary households which acquire assets such as livestock using cash transfers.”

He added that under the new programme, which will run for four years, the grant will strengthen reforms in improving social protection coverage and efficiency to ensure strengthened linkages between State and non-State actors in implementing the programmes.

On his part, Irish Ambassador Seamus O’Grady said the programme has had a good impact on poor people in the country; hence, the increased funding.

He said the programme needs to be expanded as there are other areas of potential for using social cash transfers in the country such as in nutrition and environment.

Meanwhile, government says it has established systems to improve accountability and efficiency in the running of the programme by enabling beneficiaries to appeal against decisions, lodge complaints and provide general feedback to programme implementers by using toll free number 531.

Gwengwe said government is also committed to implementing an e-payment system to all councils to strengthen social accountability of the programme