Delta State Governor and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said the state’s COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) Programme would mitigate the adverse economic impact of the pandemic, particularly on the poor and vulnerable.
D-CARES programme is a World Bank supported intervention with the main objective of expanding access to livelihood support and food security services as well as grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms.
Okowa disclosed this at the official flag-off of the implementation of activities under result areas 1 and 2 of the Delta COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) Programme, held in Asaba at the weekend.
He pledged his administration’s commitment towards implementation of all aspects of the D-CARES programme in the state for the overall benefit of the people.
He said: “As we all know, the COVID-19 exerted a huge toll on the economy with the attendant loss of income and means of livelihoods by thousands of people. The CARES programme is to help mitigate the adverse economic impact of the pandemic, particularly on the poor and vulnerable.
“On September 28, last year, we gave operational support grants to 1,818 Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) under the result area 3 component of the programme. This administration is very committed to this programme because it complements and supports our various social intervention efforts.”
He said through the initiative, the programme would directly support 25,269 poor and vulnerable households with social transfers, basic services and livelihood grants; 13,976 farmers to increase food production and facilitate smooth functioning of the food supply chain, while 2,529 MSEs will be given grants to support post-COVID-19 loans, operational costs and to enhance their IT capabilities.
He advised the programme managers to continue to display high performance and accountability levels required for seamless execution.
“It is indeed my hope that beneficiaries will make good use of the opportunity to grow their businesses, increase their income, and generally improve their living standard,” Okowa added.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, commissioner for economic planning, Dr Barry Pere-Gbe, said beneficiaries drawn from poor and vulnerable households were selected on merit and not through political colouration or ethnic cleavages and urged them to maximise the opportunity.
In their goodwill messages, stakeholders of the programme from the World Bank and other agencies lauded Governor Okowa for keying into the programme and affirmed that it would help to alleviate poverty.
Some of the beneficiaries including a physically challenged person thanked the governor for giving them opportunity to benefit from the scheme emphasizing that their economic status has improved.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of cheques and farm implements to some beneficiaries by the governor.
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