Support to the vulnerable-Social Cash Transfer beneficiaries recieving cash
The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) was restructured in 2018 to integrate the functions of the Local Development Fund –Technical Support Team (LDF-TST) and it is currently implementing the MASAF IV programme. The MASAF IV programme became effective on 14th September, 2014 and is scheduled to be implemented for a period of five (5) years from 2014 – December, 2019. The Government of Malawi (GoM) secured funding from the World Bank for the implementation of the MASAF IV project- strengthening safety nets systems in Malawi.
MASAF IV DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
The Project Development objective (PDO) is “to strengthen Malawi’s social safety net delivery systems and coordination across programs.” This objective is going to be achieved by the strengthening of Social Safety Net Systems in Malawi, increasing productive assets and reducing the impact of shocks and vulnerability of the poor through improved coverage of targeted beneficiaries. The project is meant to achieve the following specific objectives:
- To provide livelihood support mechanism to poor and vulnerable households in the urban, peri-urban and rural areas through implementation of productive public works programme
- To provide cash transfers to ultra-poor and incapacitated population who cannot ordinarily work on public works programme to support survival and investment in human capital development
- To finance investments in strengthening systems and capacity building; finance technical assistance, training and equipment for improving the overall unified registry, MIS, data base, monitoring and evaluation and targeting system for the Social Cash Transfers and the safety nets program.
- To build national and local institutional capacity for effective development planning, participatory project management and results accountability
THE MASAF IV PROJECT COMPONENTS
The project is expected to cost US$177 Million. The original financing was US$32.8 Million and was followed by two additional Financings (AFs). The first Additional Financing was US$74.2 million while the second Additional Financing was US$70 million.
MASAF4 is the second generation safety net project which is aimed at improving key safety net programmes and supporting the establishment of the building blocks for coordinated and systematic approach to safety nets in Malawi
MASAF 4 is encouraging the implementation of productive publics works that are community driven. The project is also supporting Social Cash Transfers (SCT) to eleven districts of Karonga, Rumphi, Nkhatabay, Nkhotakota, Dowa, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Dedza, Chiradzulu and Blantyre.
