Phalombe, MALAWI – Paramount Chief Kaduya has called on government to look for alternative sources of funding for the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) to avoid vulnerable households from being affected after a reduction in number of beneficiaries from 11,099 to 3146 in Phalombe.
The paramount made the call during full council meeting held at Migowi Teachers Training College (TTC) on Wednesday.
“I would like government to seek out alternative ways of financing the programme instead of being too reliant on external governments for assistance,” said Kaduya.
She further pointed the need to take into account those with disabilities and other vulnerable groups when implementing the revised arrangements to ensure their needs are not overlooked.
Principal Social Welfare Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Ishmael Kaunda, noted that the reforms follow a reduction in available funding with government, projecting a more than half decrease in social protection financing by January 2027.
“Whilst the number of beneficiary households in Phalombe is set to reduce from 11,099 to 3,164, monthly cash transfers are expected to rise from an average of K16,380 to K32,040 from January 2027,” said Kaunda.
Kaunda further said that the government was committed to increasing the Social Cash Transfer Programme funds from K4.8 billion to K7 billion, showcasing its dedication to supporting vulnerable households despite a reduction in funding from development partners.
Meanwhile, the Director of Phalombe Women’s Forum, Gloria Thondolo, also voiced concerns over the proposed reduction saying women and children will be most affected as many women head households and rely on the programme to support their families.
“Reducing the number of beneficiaries will leave vulnerable women and children struggling to meet their basic needs. Their circumstances should be taken into account when implementing the reforms,” she said.
The revised programme is expected to run from January 2027 to December 2029.
Social Cash Transfer Programme provides financial assistance to ultra-poor and labour-constrained households to help them meet their basic needs and improve their livelihoods.