Government announces end of COVID-19 relief fund
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation has announced that the cash support programme for poor and vulnerable families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will finish on April 24, 2024.
The government enacted the programme on June 24, 2020 that provided cash to poor and vulnerable families during the fight against COVID-19.
The end of the assistance programme came about as there are few cases of COVID and the government has implemented the NSSF in the Family Package initiative, a permanent and regular social assistance programme launched in April 2024.
From the beginning to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government provided cash to poor families 46 times in 16 rounds of assistance and achieved excellent results in facilitating the daily lives of poor and vulnerable families.
With the end of the pandemic programme, people have until May 10 to lodge any complaints with the NSSF regarding the implementation of the programme.
At the same time, the NSSF has called on poor and vulnerable families who have already received the 46 equity cards and have not yet collected all of their allowance to withdraw the cash from any Wing counter.
Poor and vulnerable families who have a valid equity card and poor families who have just received a new equity card must register at the Commune Hall to receive cash support from the NSSF in the Family Package.
Touch Channy, spokesman for the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
According to a report by the Ministry of Social Affairs, from June 25, 2020, to December 24, 2023, the government provided assistance to about 5,099,804 poor and vulnerable people during the fight against COVID-19.
“The government has announced the implementation of the NSSF programme in the Family Package, replacing the cash aid programme for poor and vulnerable families after the end of the COVID-19 epidemic,” the report added.
In 2024, the government plans to spend 674.5 billion Riel (about $165 million), to establish a national social assistance programme for poor and vulnerable families.
