Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja on Sunday revealed that government plans to send a cash token to all vulnerable Ugandans in what she termed as a COVID-19 relief plan.
This sparked off mixed reactions, with many wondering how government will identify and send out the cash tokens which according to Nabbanja, will be sent through Mobile Money.
While appearing on NBS Morning Breeze on Monday morning, Nabbanja said that the vulnerable will be identified with the help of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
“We shall use the NIRA list and local authorities to identify these vulnerable people. We are aware that we have vulnerable people in society, especially those who have been living hand to mouth,” Nabbanja said.
Asked to clarify who is vulnerable and who is not, Nabbanja said that the vulnerable are known and will easily be identified.
“The vulnerable are known, we have people who have jot been working for over a year, the bartenders, people who have been selling items on the street, street children and our poor communities.”
Nabbanja, however, noted that government will focus on the vulnerable groups in Kampala and Wakiso initially because it cannot afford to reach out to the whole country.
On how Mobile Money will be used
Nabbanja said that she has instituted a committee which is scheduled to sit tomorrow on Tuesday in order to iron out a plan.
The committee, according to Nabbanja will use data from NIRA, to identify urban poor communities that will be facilitated first through use of Mobile Money.
“We shall use mobile money because we believe it shall cut many administrative costs. For those who have no telephone number, we shall use a voucher system.”
Asked to expound on the voucher system, Nabbanja said that this has been used in many other countries and it will not be any different here.
She said; “The vouchers will come with security features that make it hard to be forged. They will have special numbers that one can take mobile money agents or to the bank to claim his money.”
“We shall sit tomorrow with the various committees and come up with the “how much” each vulnerable individual will get.”
Nabbanja noted that this stimulus package is going to be a one-off.
Asked if Ugandans should expect the money to be in the range of Shs. 1 million, Nabbanja said that government does not have that much money.
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