By: Sao-Kpato Hannah Isatta Max-Kyne (PhD)
As part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s Quick Action Economic Response Program (QAERP) to address the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on people’s livelihoods, the Government of Sierra Leone introduced the Covid-19 Ep Fet Po/Social Safety Net Project. The program is funded by the Government of Sierra Leone, the World Bank and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). NaCSA is the implementing agency with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Statistics Sierra Leone as partners.
It could be recalled that in October 2020, the National Commission for Social (NaCSA) and its partners completed the targeting and enrollment of thirty-five thousand (35,000) beneficiary households across all 16 (sixteen) districts in Sierra Leone. In March, 2021, based on the generated files, a total of thirty-three thousand and ten (33,010) households received the first tranche of their benefits.
To ensure speed and accuracy in delivering the project objectives, NaCSA wishes to inform beneficiaries and the public that on Sunday 10th October, 2021, it will commence payment of second and third tranches (equivalent to the sum of Eight Hundred and Seventy-Two Thousand Leones -SLL 872,000) to enrolled beneficiary households in all sixteen (16) districts. During this payment, households with PWDs as listed in the Covid-19 Ep Fet Po project database of enrolled beneficiaries, will receive an additional one-off transfer in the amount of SLL 436,000 (Four Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Leones). The purpose of this will be to contribute to medical and healthcare for PWDs in the household.
The Commission further wishes to make it known to beneficiary households and the public that during the first payment, certain beneficiary households were left out due to data errors. However, the Commission has made frantic efforts to correct these errors. We regret to inform the affected beneficiary households and the public that these households will not receive payment during the second and third tranches payment exercise. However, corrective measures have been taken and the public is assured that the affected beneficiary households will receive a combined (first, second and third tranches) payment of SLL 2,181,000 (Two million, One Hundred and Eight One Thousand Leones). Payment will be done immediately after the second and third tranche payment.
All beneficiaries will be paid ‘in cash’ by Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) with oversight by Community Monitors of the ACC and NaCSA district staff. These payments have the potential to support beneficiaries’ investments in health, education and productive business.
Kindly be cautioned that no one should offer or pay anything to anybody before, during and after receiving the payment. Any attempted extortion or corrupt practice must be reported to the ACC using the toll-free number 515, directly to ACC Community Monitors or other ACC officials and NaCSA district staff. We thank you for your understanding and continued interest and confidence in the work of the Commission.
For further information on this and other matters, please contact Umaru Samai, Project Officer- Information Education and Communication on +23277022709/+23276378993 umarusamai@nacsa.gov.sl