The fund has dispersed K14 billion to over 100,000 Malawians since its launch in 2020 to relieve vulnerable Malawians from economic effects of covid-19, according to the public relations officer for the ministry of Gender and Social Welfare, Fred Simwaka.
The pulling out of the World Bank Group from the covid-19 fund comes at a time when the country faces a new wave of less severe covid-19 infection.
PRO Fred Simwaka
But Simwaka said the government is expected to rollout the second phase of the fund this month despite World Bank Group pulling out its support.
He has also noted that due to the withdrawal by the World Bank, beneficiaries will be getting K25,000 instead of K35,000 for the next three months.
A social commentator, Fryson Chodzi, has however said the fund is a waste of tax payer money, saying it promotes laziness.
He has since told the government to discontinue the programme saying it is promoting the culture of handouts and corruption among officers.
But government officials say evidence from research has shown that social cash transfers do not promote laziness, and that in most cases beneficiaries use the funds to improve their livelihoods.
