Cabinet has granted approval for the social welfare ministry to continue increasing the coverage of social grants for marginalised communities.
This was announced by information and communication technology minister Peya Mushelenga, in a Cabinet decisions document released on Wednesday.
According to Mushelenga the decisions made were part of the fifth decision making meeting of the year, held on Tuesday.
“Cabinet granted approval for the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare to continue increasing the coverage for social grants and the implementation of food assistance programmes for the marginalised communities,” he said.
He said Cabinet directed the Office of the Prime Minister to extend the drought relief programme in the Kunene region, parts of Erongo and Omusati regions from 1 April to 30 May 2024.
In the document, Mushelenga further said Cabinet directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to continue promoting resilience/climate-smart agricultural production in the areas which depend on crop and livestock activities.
“Cabinet directed the agriculture ministry to strengthen trans-boundary disease/pest early-warning and surveillance systems, especially for the African migratory locusts, and foot-and-mouth disease in livestock,” he said.
The document further stated that the agriculture ministry must make budgetary provisions to cater for additional water pipelines in rural areas and boreholes to address water shortages.
He said Cabinet directed the agriculture ministry to ensure food availability in the markets to reduce food consumption gaps and to develop a sensitisation programme to promote drought resistant breeds and seed varieties, strengthen trans-boundary disease/pest early-warning and surveillance systems, and make budgetary allocations for the renovation of livestock quarantine camps.
Mushelenga said Cabinet directed the gender ministry and the Office of the President to continue monitoring the assistance to vulnerable households through provision of safety nets to marginalised communities and most vulnerable people.
“Cabinet directed the Ministry of Mines and Energy to provide electricity utility subsidies to all green scheme projects to improve agriculture production,” he said.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has been instructed to establish community awareness programmes to empower local communities on human-wildlife conflict.
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