Government to roll out drought food voucher system

The Namibian government is in the process of rolling out a food voucher system to all 14 regions after the programme was successfully piloted in the Oshana Region.

This forms part of the Commodity and Beneficiary Management Information System, an alternative drought relief delivery mechanism being piloted by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the system digitises and automates the food relief beneficiary system whereby beneficiaries will use vouchers to redeem their food items at local retail shops.

“A pilot has been done in the Okatana Constituency, where 1 200 drought-affected households across 20 distribution centres were identified. Twelve retail stores were provided with food parcels for the targeted groups. Each one was given a voucher valued at N.dollars 450. The beneficiaries have successfully redeemed their food parcels at all the local markets, and now we are in the process of rolling out the system throughout the country,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said this on Monday at State House while reporting on progress made on the government drought and disaster risk management efforts this year.

She said Cabinet has taken the decision that the government implement a comprehensive nationwide drought relief programme from October 2023 to the end of June 2024.

This came after the 2023 vulnerable assessment report, which found that about 693 000, or 1 750 households, are food insecure and will require food assistance.

Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister also cautioned against the abuse of the drought relief programme, saying it is intended for people who are really in need of assistance.

“We are appealing to our people on the ground to register people who are in need because there are signs that people who were not supposed to be registered are being registered. If we do it that way, we will not be able to assist those in need,” she said.

The government has budgeted an additional N.dollars 643 million in the mid-term budget to supplement the drought relief programme.

(NAMPA)
AT/PS/AS
(NAMPA)