One step closer to SASSA grants solution

The Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, says an implementation protocol has been signed between the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the South African Post Office (SAPO).

This paves the way for a collaborative agreement towards the payment of social grants.

 “A lot has been achieved in finding a sustainable solution for the payment of social grants in the country," he said.

 “The implementation protocol was concluded and signed between SASSA and SAPO, and by the Minister in the Presidency on behalf of the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC),” said Minister Radebe.

Implementation protocol

The Minister said the implementation protocol is accompanied by an implementation plan, which identifies various critical steps required to ensure the payments of grants by 1 April 2018.

• There are various stages: including finalising all necessary service agreements;
• agreement on the cost model and conclusion of the cost benefit analysis of the options;
• issuance of the first batch of the new biometric-enabled card and developing software for the card management system.

The final stage would be a handover process from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) to the new service provider.

A communication strategy has also been developed by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), as per the IMC directive. The GCIS will ensure that beneficiaries remain informed and that their fears about the payment of social grants are allayed.

“We understand the anxieties that the impasse over social grants has caused, including fears that the cards might expire and beneficiaries will not receive their grants. I can assure all SASSA beneficiaries across the country that no card will expire come end of this calendar year,” he said.  The Minister said the protocol allows SAPO to provide SASSA by 1 April 2018, subject to cost effectiveness: