Nalolo District Commissioner, Namatama Mupo says the recently introduced Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information Service payment of social cash transfers to beneficiaries will enhance transparency and accountability in the disbursement of the funds.
Ms Mupo says the digital payment will also reduce the misuse of funds by pay point managers.
ZANIS reports that speaking when she officially opened a training workshop for Nalolo District Pay Point Managers held at Senanga School of Nursing, the District Commissioner said government is committed to protecting and promoting the livelihoods and welfare of vulnerable and incapacitated people hence, it wants to ensure that funds meant for the social cash transfer are used for intended purpose.
“This programme is meant to reduce extreme poverty and intergenerational transfer of poverty among beneficiary households hence we want it to achieve its main objective through the improved service delivery system,” she said.
Ms. Mupo urged the pay point managers to ensure that the programme is implemented in a systematic manner according to its guidelines.
“As pay point managers, you are all expected to execute your duty diligently so as not to frustrate the government efforts in reducing poverty through social services programmes,” she added.
Ms. Mupo further appealed to the department of Social Welfare in the district to consider establishing a few more Community Welfare Assistant Committees (CWACs) in Shekela, Nanjucha and Lubosi wards in order for more beneficiaries to be on the programme.
She said the programme currently has a caseload of 9, 558 beneficiaries on social cash programmes in 63 CWACs.
Meanwhile, Nalolo District Acting Social Welfare Officer, Trust Chingala said the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information Services will resolve many challenges that the department used to face such as removing deceased people from the list and detecting beneficiaries who used to get paid in more than one centers.
And Mapungu Pay Point Manager, Liyungu Mukatimui thanked the department of social welfare for imparting them with digital knowledge.
As long as there are dishonest individuals there’s no system that’s perfect. At the moment Zambia is at its lowest in terms of honesty. There’s theft almost everywhere. The FISP e-Voucher system was rigged. It seems there’s nothing that can be done honestly and correctly in Zambia. We are a thieving nation