Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D Tweah Jr.
In an effort to mitigate the effects of the global pandemic, at least 85,000 Petty Traders, including Market women, are expected to benefit from a COVID Cash Transfer Program in Liberia.
Launched by the Government of Liberia on December 19, 2020, in collaboration with USAID, the COVID cash transfer of US$150 will be disbursed to the most vulnerable in the Liberian society in three installments in an effort to cushion the effects of the global pandemic.
Finance Minister Samuel Tweah told participants during a virtual conference meant to launch the program that, in the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), the government looks at social protection as a valuable investment, particularly in vulnerable rural settings. Minister Tweah said in the last few years, resources that have been dedicated to social protection programs have been on the low side, which he said the Weah administration wants to scale up.
After more than a month of crying for economic support to help get them through the hardships that COVID-19 has brought on, the Belizean people have finally been given some news. On Tuesday, December 15, the PUP’s Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs launched a “cash-transfer” program. This is being done in partnership with the National Bank of Belize Limited, Digi, and Belize Social Investment Fund to provide support to vulnerable households affected by COVID-19. The BCCAT program is being funded by the Government of Belize with funds from the World Bank, which has allocated BZ$19 million to provide financial assistance to over 18,000 households during a six-month period. Since winning the election on November 11, the PUP administration put a stop to this and other programs.
Dec 15, 2020
G.O.B. Launches Belize COVID-19 Cash Transfer Program
The government today announced the launch of the Belize COVID-19 Cash Transfer Program. The program aims to provide support to vulnerable households affected by COVID-19. G.O.B. says that the program will provide supplementary short-term emergency cash to households that have not qualified for other social assistance schemes. A list of beneficiaries is being compiled using the Food Assistance Program for the cash-transfer with priority being placed on poor families with pregnant women, children, the elderly, and persons living with a physical disability. So far, thirty-six thousand beneficiaries have been assessed and those who are approved will receive approximately one hundred and fifty to six hundred dollars per month depending on the household composition. But only eighteen thousand households will receive assistance for a six months period and that’s because the government is funding the program w