GOVERNMENT has said there is room to increase the $300
Covid-19 relief payments to vulnerable households after it emerged that only
200 000 people out of the targetted one million had registered for the
programme as the amount of money is too little.
Treasury said it had budgeted $2,4 billion towards the cash
payments to the vulnerable people who are not forthcoming. Only 200 000
vulnerable people have so far registered to receive the cash payments against
the Government target of one million.
Intended beneficiaries are said to be shunning the
programme because the amount paid is too little. A 2-litre bottle of cooking oil now costs $370 which is
more than what an individual is paid as Covid-19 relief per month.
Addressing a Zanu-PF Midlands Provincial Co-ordinating
Committee (PCC) meeting in Gweru on Saturday, Finance and Economic Development
Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said there is room to increase the cash payment
so that beneficiaries are able to buy basic commodities.
He however said more people should register so when
Government increases the amounts, at least one million people benefit.
Prof Ncube said Government is actually worried that there
has been a low up take by vulnerable people.
He said Government had budgeted about $2,4 billion to
support vulnerable people during the lockdown.
“We want those that are vulnerable to register with the
Social Welfare Department for the $300 which will increase going forward. We
are sincere about that because we had budgeted about $2,4 billion for this
year. We want more people to register because our target was one million people
but we have just 200 000 people,” he said.
Prof Ncube said it was a criminal offence for shops to
refuse local currency.
He urged people to report such malpractices to the nearest
police station so that perpetrators are brought to book.
Prof Ncube said to date, score of businesses had been
prosecuted for refusing to accept the local currency.
Chief Nemangwe said there are many vulnerable people in his
area who wanted to benefit from the cash payments but they were saying the
amount is too little.
“We have so many vulnerable people in Gokwe who need this
money. Shops are however shunning mobile money and as such many people are no
longer motivated to register for this assistance,” said Chief Nemanagwe.
Mberengwa East MP Cde Tafanana Zhou urged Government to use
the existing list of vulnerable people from the department of Social Welfare to
provide assistance.
He said in his constituency there were many vulnerable
people in need of food aid and the $300 could go a long way if the Government
subsidised mealie-meal is made available.
Chroncile
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