TO alleviate the economic burden on vulnerable citizens, Government, through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS), has launched a six-month emergency cash transfer intervention.
MCDSS Minister Doreen Mwamba revealed that this initiative aims to counteract the heightened cost of living and will operate alongside the traditional Social Cash Transfer programme, benefiting 254,581 households across all 10 provinces.
Mwamba expressed optimism that the emergency cash transfer would enhance food security and nutrition.
“It’s envisaged that the emergency cash transfer will improve food security and nutrition, and enable households to maintain access to nutritious food during price shocks to enhance human development” she said.
Highlighting the timeframe from November 2023 to April 2024 as a critical period of increased food prices due to seasonality, Mwamba emphasized the program’s goal of equipping households to withstand sudden spikes in essential goods and services costs.
Mwamba urged beneficiaries of the K1,200 transfer to exercise prudence in its usage.
Identifying vulnerable urban households as those most affected by the recent surge in essential goods and services costs, Mwamba stressed that the intervention also seeks to mitigate negative socio-economic impacts.
These impacts pose a threat to household gains and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mwamba underscored the project’s primary objective: to protect and enhance consumption in poor and vulnerable households.
The programme expands the existing cash transfer initiative by incorporating mechanisms tailored to address price shocks.https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=695899572680808&id=100067823136380&mibextid=Nif5oz
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba December 28, 2023
