Payment of Covid relief cash starts today

The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja will at 10 am today kick off the disbursement of shs100,000  Covid relief cash to vulnerable people from cities and municipalities in various parts of the country.

The Minister for Gender, Betty Amongi on Tuesday announced the exercise would start today, Thursday but on Wednesday, the State Minister for Gender, Charles Engola said because of the need to verify the lists of vulnerable persons who are to receive the money; the program had been postponed to next week.

  However, on Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Gender said the exercise would go on as scheduled today.

 "The payment of the Covid relief funds will commence tomorrow, Thursday, July 8, 2021, as earlier scheduled,” the ministry said in a tweet.

 “Several cleaned lists have been received from across the country, the online payment system is up and running, the funds are available, and therefore payment will go on.”

Amongi further confirmed the development while appearing on NBS TV's Morning Breeze show earlier today.

"I want to assure Ugandans that payment begins today and the Prime Minister will launch this process today at 10: 00 am. We agreed to relax the date of data verification from July 10th not the payment. From today, whatever data has been verified, money will be dispatched. We want a thorough process with accountability,"she said.

She noted that by yesterday, only Entebbe, Kira and Gulu municipalities had been able to partially finish the process and submit part of the lists of their beneficiaries.

According to the gender ministry, whereas some areas are still undertaking validation of the lists, for those that have submitted to the ministry, the beneficiaries will receive their relief starting today.

“This will be a continuous process through next week. But we will ensure to reach as many people that need the fund as is.”

Minister Amongi on Tuesday said a total of 21,480 households have so far been cleared to receive the cash and the money will be sent via mobile money.

Beneficiaries

Government named bus and taxi drivers plus conductors; baggage carriers, touts, wheelbarrow pushers, traffic guides and loaders in tax and bus parks, stages and other areas like Kikuubo.

The minister said that government will also send covid relief cash to barmen, DJs, barmaids, waiters, waitresses and bouncers, gym and restaurant workers, food vendors in tax, bus parks and arcades, musicians, comedians, producers, promoters, salon and massage parlour employees, teachers and support staff in both government and private schools but are not on payroll, car washers, slum dwellers, street vendors, shoe shiners, orphans and vulnerable children.