By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, October 25, Mana: Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza on Thursday urged Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) to protect beneficiaries of Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) from fraud after transitioning to Electronic payment.

The programme in Salima district has now shifted to a mobile-based payment arrangement using TNM Mpamba.

Sendeza made the call in Salima, in the area of Senior Chief Makanjira, when she inspected the registration of beneficiaries to the TNM’s Know Your Customer Exercise, in preparation for e-payment in the district.

She said there should be massive awareness so that beneficiaries should know how they can quickly identify and know different forms of fraudulent acts.

"The Social Cash Transfer Programme aims at alleviating poverty, therefore if beneficiaries would be duped of the money they receive that means we are not solving any problem in terms of poverty alleviation," she said.

Sendeza said beneficiaries should also have access to affordable phones so that when they start receiving money through phones they can be able to withdraw without challenges.

The Minister also urged beneficiaries to use the money they receive under the programme carefully to improve their livelihoods.

"Beneficiaries should not misuse money they receive, because we want to see transformation of livelihoods. We want to see people buying goats, building houses, sending children to school and achieving food security in their households," she said.

On his part, TNM's Senior Commercial Manager for the Central Region Lengster Nyanjagha assured the Minister that they are intensifying awareness against fraud among all beneficiaries of Social Cash Transfer, especially teaching them never to share their PIN code with anyone.

"We tell our customers never to share their pin code as this exposes them to fraud, and also they should never swap their numbers under any circumstances, because doing so puts them at high risk of being duped," he said.

A beneficiary of the SCTP from Senior Chief Makanjira Napungeya Davison said she hopes that E-payment would ease challenges of queuing on long lines waiting to receive cash under the programme.

"We would walk long distances just to receive our money, and receiving was not instant we would stay on long lines for so many hours, this was frustrating, therefore receiving money instantly in our phones will be a game changer for us," she said.

In Salima District, 12,340 households are benefiting from the Social Cash Transfer Programme.