By George Bulombola

Mzuzu, March 20, Mana: Mzuzu City Council (MCC) says it is geared towards rolling out implementation of Price Shock Emergency Urban Cash Transfer after thoroughly going through all stipulated processes.

According to a communication released by the council to Ward Development Committees, Community Disaster Risk Management Committee and block leaders, all processes that delayed the implementation of the safety net intervention have been resolved.

“Implementing partners who include the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC), Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare and Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs in liaison with the development partners have resolved that the implementation of the programme should commence immediately with identification of beneficiaries,” reads part of the communication.

The programme is designed to support poor and vulnerable households within Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Zomba and Blantyre City Councils with 105,000 households targeted beneficiaries out of which 12,000 are allocated to MCC and each household is expected to receive K150,000.00.

The communication which is signed by MCC’s Acting Director of Planning and Development, Agness Malota, further indicates that all procedures should be adhered to in identifying beneficiary households to ensure transparency and fairness during the implementation of the programme.

Some of the requirements for a household to benefit from the initiative include households with elderly member with ages from 64 and above and person with disability.

Other criteria stipulate that a household must be headed by a 50-year old or above female, including child headed ones.

Commenting on the development, Chairperson for MCC Disaster Risk Management Committee, Katsilizika Mwale, said the intervention will beef up Lean Period Emergency Food Support Programme in the city.

According to Mwale, the programme is being implemented following devaluation of the Kwacha and socio-economic destabilisation.