Covid Relief Fund Update: Government Has So Far Sent Shs14.7bn

Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi has said the government has so far (July 13, 10am) doled out Shs14,712,531,850 to 143,642 to vulnerable persons in urban areas.

According to the minister, they plan to give money to 501,107 people in Kampala Metropolitan Area, 11 cities and 30 municipalities.

However, they have only received 337,021 names, which have been collected from 31 out 42 cities and municipalities.

On top of this, some of the names, 150,915, that were submitted failed to pass the verification process as telephone numbers were registered under different names or unregistered.

"The failed numbers will be sent back to cities/municipalities either for correction or payment using the Postbank Mobile Facility," the minister said.

President Museveni on June 18, at the onset of the latest lockdown, directed the Prime Minister to identify vulnerable groups that depend on daily earnings in urban areas, assess their needs during the lockdown so that the government can support them.

These include barmen, DJs, barmaids, waiters and bouncers, and bar, gym and restaurant workers, bus/taxi drivers, conductors, baggage carriers, wheelbarrow pushers, touts, traffic guides and loaders in parks and other commercial areas will collect the cash.

Each household will get Shs100,000, with the government financing the withdrawal fees.

According to the minister, the funds are meant to help households buy 20kgs of milled maize costed at Shs40,000, 10kgs of beans (Shs25,000), a bar of soap (3,000), cooking oil (12,000) and an extra 20,000 to spend on any other item.

People with National Identification Numbers (NINs) that don't correspond to their mobile money account details will receive funds through the Post Bank mobile vans.