Social grants continue to uplift livelihoods: Geingob

WINDHOEK, 11 APR  – The Namibian Government’s targeted social grants continue to uplift the livelihood of Namibians, President Hage Geingob said while delivering his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Wednesday.
Geingob said since the last SONA in 2017, 165 376 elderly citizens are now registered recipients of the monthly grant, compared to 159 315 the preceding year.
This is an increase of 6 061 beneficiaries from the previous years.
“The monthly grant for senior citizens is transformational because it raises household income and benefits more people beyond the direct beneficiary,” Geingob said.
Senior citizens now receive N.dollars 1 200 per month, up from the N.dollars 600 received in 2015.
The improved social grant distribution has also seen an increase in the number of children who are enrolled in early childhood development centres.
In 2016, 76 061 children were enrolled in early childhood development centres, while in 2017, 83 265 children were recorded in these institutions.
This is expected to improve the quality of the education outcomes in the long term.
Geingob added that the number of beneficiaries of other grants also increased between 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Beneficiaries of the disability grant increased from 35 217 to 39 245, representing an increase of 4 028 over this period.
The number of grants for orphans and vulnerable children also increased from 285 431 to 344 055.

NAMPA