Mozambique’s emergency response to Covid-19 raises inclusivity concerns

In 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Mozambique, the government started implementing the National Response Plan of Social Protection which aims to pay cash transfers to 1,582,179 beneficiaries. These cash transfers are done via mobile phone through the service Mpesa.

Since then, there have been reports of people having registration and access difficulties, such as having wrong phone numbers associated with their names, and hence not being able to claim their benefits.

Adding to this, Mpesa is not available in remote neighbourhoods and there is little information about places where cash withdrawals can be performed.

Finally, there have been multiple reports of the government being unresponsive to individual complaints and requests for rectification. The government is yet to address requests for alternatives to Mpesa from people who have lost their phone.

Source: https://www.usp2030.org/gimi/RessourcePDF.action?id=57260
Authors: PSC-PS (Plataforma da Sociedade Civil Moçambicana para a Protecção Social)
Date: December 2020

Source: https://blogs.worldbank.org/nasikiliza/covid-19-mozambique-team-effort-ease-economic-hardship-families
Authors: Rafael Saute, Edmundo Murrugarra, Julián Casal, Jordi Gallego-Ayala
Date: September 2020