People hail Social Cash Transfer e-payment

Social Cash Transfer Programme beneficiaries in Nkhotakota District have commended Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare for introducing electronic payment (e-payment) system. 

They said this on Friday when the ministry rolled out the new payment system in the district.

A beneficiary Hagala Kalota of Kombo Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Malengachanzi said the electronic payment will reduce the labour of travelling long distance to access the money.

“The e-payment will minimise inconveniences encountered with the manual payment as it was difficult for one to access money when sick or away for some reason,” she said.

Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati assured people in the district that government will increase the number of beneficiaries from November this year.

“The country has many ultra-poor households who need to be enrolled into the Social Cash Transfer Programme,” she said.

Kaliati said the electronic payment will reduce expenses such as transport  to transact the payments.

TNM Mpamba mobile money agent manager Maleck Kaziputa said they partnered government to facilitate electronic payment for the programme.

He said TNM plc has put in place measures to ensure security of its customers against fraudsters and pledged to provide quality services.

Currently, Thyolo, Karonga, Nkhotakota and Blantyre districts have migrated to electronic payment through TNM Mphamba while Balaka and Ntcheu beneficiaries are getting theirs through banks.