SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER MUST REACH RIGHTFUL PEOPLE, DEMANDS ZAW

By Kalobwe Bwalya

ZAMBIA Alliance of Women says it is looking forward to seeing that the social cash transfer will be distributed to rightful receipt.

ZAW Executive Director Edah Chimya said in an interview that following the pronouncement by President Hakainde Hichilema that the Government would increase the social cash transfer, she expected that the more intended people such as the aged, vulnerable, persons living with disabilities, among others, would benefit.

Ms. Chimya stated that social cash was meant to benefit people in society, especially those who were vulnerable so that they could also live a decent livelihood and rightly benefit.

She observed that many times, policies regarding the social cash transfer had been pronounced but that implementation was lacking.

She stated that once the policy was implemented and followed, the intended beneficiaries would receive their allocation and that many women across Zambia will greatly benefit and live a decent lifestyle.

“We are pleased over the Presidential pronouncements that the Government has increased social cash transfer and the inclusion of women is very much commendable and as Zambia Alliance for Women, we are looking to see to it that it is implemented so that it is rightfully distributed to the intended beneficiaries,” Ms. Chimya said.

And Ms. Chimya also appealed to mobile money dealers to consider reducing the charges because social cash transfer was given to vulnerable people that were using the mobile money.

She stressed that if the charges were high, then mobile dealers were the ones to benefit more than the beneficiaries who were the vulnerable people in society.

She appealed to the Government through the Ministry of Community Development to also consider adding up a withdrawal charge money as beneficiaries were losing out when making cash withdrawals.

“Our appeal is that the ministry should consider adding up a withdrawal charge because the large number of beneficiaries gets its monies using mobile money,” she said.