adminIn a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, Mr Sydney Mhishi, a director in the Department of Social Welfare, said most of the social protection programmes have not been receiving adequate funding from the Government.
“We have a serious challenge in as far as implementing some of the social protection programmes under the Public Assistance Funding scheme. This is largely because of limitations in terms of resources and Treasury also delays in releasing allocated funds meant for the elderly, disabled and other vulnerable groups’ grants,” said Mr Mhishi.
He said the programmes have not been suspended and would be implemented once funding was made available.
The Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Paurina Mpariwa, said her Ministry was allocated $7 million in this year’s budget to cater for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable children.
The Government suspended paying grants at the height of the economic challenges in 2008 but revived the facility in 2009 following the introduction of the multi-currency system.
The beneficiaries are supposed to be paid $20 each a month.
The Department of Social Welfare has since March been unable to pay out grants after having exhausted the money it had been allocated from the national budget.
An Older Persons Bill was recently passed in Parliament and now awaits the President’s signature so that it becomes law. The bill seeks to provide holistic care and protection and support of older persons in the country.
It also demonstrates Government’s commitment to, among other things, creating an enabling environment for senior citizens.
At the moment older person’s affairs are dealt with in general under the Social Welfare Assistance Act, which also caters for other vulnerable groups.
The Act provides for monthly maintenance allowance, which is a cash transfer scheme, to enable older persons to access basic foodstuffs.
Online Reporter