It is widely known that “you can not use yesterdays tools in today’s job and expect to be in business tomorrow” (Anonymous). The fast-paced changes in the technological space globally mean that organizations need to adopt relevant tech-savvy responses to their work and intervention processes.
It has been close to two decades of Public Works in Malawi now. Beneficiaries continue receiving their wages the archaic hard cash methodology. It is outdated because it can easily be prone to fraud and theft as issues of money at the community and such levels are based on trust and mutual understanding.
However, this will be a story of yesterday as National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) is piloting electronic payment for wages to beneficiaries in the Enhanced Public Works Programme in Balaka.
According to the NLGFC’s Director of Economic and Infrastructure Development (DI&ED), Eng. Paul Chipeta, this is a welcome development and a milestone in as far as public works are concerned in Malawi.
In an interview with this paper, Chipeta says e-payment of wages for public works beneficiaries the way to go and under this arrangement, a beneficiary gets his/her wages paid directly into their bank accounts or later other money receiving platforms.
“E-payment for EPWP beneficiaries in the pilot district of Balaka has started well and it has already minimised cases of beneficiaries not receiving their wages, eliminated fraud or theft grievances among others”, said Chipeta.
Speaking on the same during the pay parade for EPWP beneficiaries in Balaka, the District Liaison Officer, Mr Pieter Chiumbuzo applauded NLGFC for piloting e-payment of wages saying it is fast, secure, convenient and is proving to be a trusted way of receiving wages among beneficiaries.
“In other districts where they are still paying wages in hard cash, most beneficiaries think that their money has been tampered with through fraud, but with e-payment, they are assured that no one takes their money, as the wages get straight into their bank accounts,” Chiumbuzo said
One of the EPWP beneficiaries, Esnart Kusakala of Malikula catchment in Balaka was all smiles saying with the e-payment, she now has a bank account which she has never thought of having in her entire life. Kusakala said it is convenient as she also gets a transaction slip indicating the wages she has got and balance in her account which is evidence of the transaction.
Kusakala said, apart from receiving her wages for EPWP, she will also use the bank account for savings she acquires from proceeds of her other businesses including returns from her savings at her village savings group which she is a member.
