Scale up public works—committee
Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare and Community Affairs has asked government to consider providing additional financing for scaling up of Enhanced Public Works Programme.
The committee said the programme is crucial as it is helping government fight poverty at community level.
Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare and Community Affairs chairperson Saviel Kafwafwa said this on Wednesday after inspecting projects initiated at Tovi catchment area in Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa District.
He said: “We want the programme to be scaled up nationwide, including in all constituencies than just the piloted 10 beneficiary districts because there are ultra poor people across the country that needs the support.”
In the Enhanced Public Works pilot programme run from September 2020 to April 2021 beneficiaries worked for 24 days at K900 per day and earned K21 600 monthly. Part of the earnings were being saved through Community Savings and Investment Promotion (Comsip) for the sustainability of beneficiaries livelihoods.
Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms deputy director responsible for social protection Dalitso Malimba said the Enhanced Public Works Programme is being coordinated by National Social Support Programme with funding from the World Bank.
