By HILDA MUSONDA –

TRADITIONAL leaders in Sinda District in Eastern Province have commended Government for its commitment in implementing the social cash transfer scheme aimed at addressing hunger and poverty in the communities.

Chieftainess Nyanje and Chief Katumba said the Social Cash Transfer Scheme was important initiative.

The chiefs said the scheme called for continued community support to sustain the
huge benefits the scheme had scored in the district.

The chiefs were speaking when Sinda District Commissioner Carol Banda called on them during a tour to sensitisatise people on the scheme.

Speaking earlier, Ms Banda said about 4,047 people would benefit from the 2014 social
cash transfer scheme in Sinda with a budget support of K3,457,226.

Ms Banda explained that before Sinda became a district, only people aged 60 years and above were benefiting from the programme in four wards namely Luandazi, Mtandaza, Kondwelani and
Chiwuyu since 2007.

She said the Government has since made a policy shift on targeting mechanism were eligibility criteria would now be guided by residence, incapacitation, living conditions and community perception on vulnerability.

And Provincial Senior Social Welfare Officer Obbie Musama said following increased funding of 700 percent to social cash transfer, Government had scaled up the programme in other districts.

These are Petauke, Sinda and Mambwe in addition to Chipata and Katete which have been implementing the programme since 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Mr Musama revealed that the projected total case load for 2014 was 26,536 beneficiaries in the five districts supported by the projected budget of K22, 560,442 for Eastern Province.