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{
    "id": 1183403,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1183403/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 65,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to comment on these Statements. I will first comment on the Statement by Hon. Protus Akujah on the Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) beneficiaries and the exploitation by bank agents. The HSNP is part and parcel of the whole National Safety Nets Programme (NSNP) in the country which includes cash transfer for orphans and vulnerable children, elderly persons and persons with disabilities (PWDs). These programmes are all suffering from the same problem. Previously, these programmes were implemented by different agents. For example, the cash transfers for orphans and vulnerable children, elderly persons and PWDs were through post office. This worked relatively well. The initial programme on HSNP was actually through agents like shopkeepers who would give cash or goods in lieu of cash. Again, this was working very well. Then they changed to programmes to be ran through banks. In my view, this has not done well because sometimes the elderly and the caretakers for orphans and vulnerable children do not receive the money. You cannot be sure where the loss occurs. Sometimes the beneficiaries go to the bank agents or other times the banks themselves to make payments at specific points. The point is that people do not end up receiving the money. We do not know where the money gets lost. Is it with the agents, through the banks or is it that the Ministries do not send money? Many times, when people go to seek this money, they come through us. A statement may come here and the next two months from now, another Statement of similar nature is sought. What we may need is that when the responses to these Statements are inadequate, is to call the responsible Cabinet Secretaries to appear before the Committees. Interested Members, who will be many, can now attend those meetings and find out in details from the Cabinet Secretaries why these things are happening. This is extremely important. Hon. Deputy Speaker, we are now distributing maize around. However, we are doing it the wrong way. When you go to a clan and distribute maize, then everyone will come yet not all of them are deserving. These programmes are supposed to pick vulnerable people. In any clan, the Chiefs, the Assistant Chiefs and the Clan Elders should identify the most affected families. These are records that should be available to us through the social protection The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for informationpurposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}