The Vanuatu Government is committed to providing cash to cyclone-affected households as disaster relief to meet basic needs after the cyclones.
This assurance was given by the Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, after the Finance Minister’s announcement in Parliament.
Giving people cash gives them the freedom to choose what they need to get back on their feed. “We want to find ways to give more power and resources to citizens in times of disaster,” Finance Minister John Salong said.
Minister Regenvanu said that the government is committed to realising this financial assistance within three months after the cyclones.
He said the government is exploring the best way to implement this since it would be the first time to rollout in a large scale.
Regenvanu confirmed a meeting was held by the Finance Minister with organisations implementing similar cash assistance including the United Nations to find the best option to reach everyone.
“Current cash assistance platforms do not reach everyone. How to ensure we reach everyone affected is the main issue. We are consulting with the Civil Registry on the possibility of using national ID cards to access cash or voucher through the platform,” he said.
The Opposition Bloc had questioned how much exactly and where the government will be sourcing funds for this cash assistance during the recent budget debate in Parliament.
Minister Regenvanu said he could not give a figure yet on how much cash is needed for the initiative and how much people will be receiving.
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