The Department of Social Welfare in Muchinga Province has received over K31million Social Cash Transfer (SCT) funds.
Provincial Social Welfare Officer Jacob Miti confirmed the development to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in a telephone interview yesterday.
Mr. Miti said the funds received by the department in all the eight districts in the province is for the July/August bi monthly payment.
He adds that the funds received will carter for the entire provincial case load which currently stands at 66,570.
“As a province we received funds amounting to over K31, 269,000 and payment of the same is on course,” he said.
Mr. Miti said so far four (4) out eight (8) districts of Muchinga Province are yet to complete paying beneficiaries while the other four districts completed paying by yesterday.
He named the remaining districts yet to disburse the funds as Kanchibiya which has four Community Welfare Assistance Committees (CWACs) remaining to be paid while Luvushimanda is yet to pay beneficiaries in six CWACs.
Other districts that are still paying include Shiwang’andu with four (4) CWACs remaining and Mafinga respectively.
The Provincial Social Welfare Officer says the payment process is running smoothly.
“We have not faced any major challenges from the time the payments begun last week and we appreciate Government for the timely release of funds,” Mr. Miti said.
Mr. Miti has since called on the beneficiaries of the Social Cash Transfer funds to ensure that they put the funds to good use.
He says the main objective of the SCT programme is to reduce extreme poverty and intergenerational transfer of poverty among beneficiaries can only be achieved if beneficiaries prudently utilize the funds through different business ventures.
