By Tamala Kamanga
Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Dowa district council, Mercy Mpakule, has called on service providers involved in disbursement of funds to participants under social protection programs to ensure they have reliable and undisrupted services in hard to reach areas in the district.
She made the remarks Thursday during a District Executive Committee meeting (DEC) to sensitize members on payment modalities for Social Cash Transfer (SCT) and Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Program (CS-EPWP), where TNM Mpamba was disclosed as a service provider engaged in disbursement of funds in Dowa.
Mpakule asked the service provider to help realize the objective of e-Payment.
“In some parts of our district, we have challenges with TNM network. But we do not want participants to have challenges in accessing their money because the whole essence of e-Payment is to improve payment effectiveness.
“As such, we want to ask TNM to ensure reliable network and services in all areas so that people do not have to travel long distances to access their funds. You should, also, ensure that you have enough agents at all times who can assist participants with various processes,” she said.
However, Mpakule expressed confidence in TNM Mpamba’s capabilities, citing their prior experience in similar projects is a reason the council supports their involvement.
The meeting was organized in collaboration with the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC)
Jane Chidengu, NLGFC e-Payment Specialist, said TNM Mpamba is committed to improving its services in the district.
“We understand that network coverage may not reach every location, but under partnerships like this, it is the company’s responsibility to ensure their services reach all targeted areas,” said Chidengu.
The e-Payment is expected to help councils save resources and enable beneficiaries to receive and withdraw their money conveniently, from anywhere, using their phones.
So far, 23,900 participants have been enrolled under the Climate Smart program, while 16,725 out of the targeted 19,000 beneficiaries have been registered under the Mtukula Pakhomo program.
