Minister Betty Amongi asks local gov’t leadership to support elder persons

The Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has asked local government leadership to support elder persons during the national identification registration.

She made the remark during the review meeting for SAGE at office of the president Auditorium 

During her interface with the local government leadership and RDCs, she noted that government has put in place a number of programs, which have since supported the elder person and vulnerable population to rise above social-economic challenges.

While addressing the Social Assistant Grant for Empowerment National Review and Coordination meeting held at the office of the President Auditorium on Thursday, the Minister said that the government flagship programme which started in 2011 and has cumulatively reached 439,069 older persons and paid over Shs 565.7bn.

She says the beneficiaries receive Shs 25,000, every Quarter and other complimentary programmes by Government include; the Special Enterprise Grant for Older Persons (SEGOP), which targets older persons of 60-79 years, in groups of 5-10 people.

“The National Special Grant for PWDs is also delivered to groups of 5-10 persons with Disabilities, to enable them to engage in a common enterprise,” she added.

She says the ministry also oversees a number of rehabilitation centres in the country, which provide social care and support services to children. These have done a great job amidst funding, human resource capacity gaps, among others.

She added that the National Social Security Fund and the Public Service Pension Schemes have also provided some saving avenues to the formally employed workers of Government and also government is working on health insurance scheme bills which is expected to improve the health care system in the country.

She says that currently, the SAGE Programme reaches over 304,046 beneficiaries countrywide, receiving Ug.shs. 25,000 per month, disbursed on a quarterly basis.

In the Last Financial Year 2023/24, Amongi says, the Programme paid over Shs.121.22bn to beneficiaries. However, in the current national budget of FY 2024/25, Government has allocated only Shs 100.42 billion to the Programme.

She noted that the amount is still less by Shs 20.86 billion, which the ministry shall continue to engage Government to reinstate this funding, so that Senior Citizens continue to receive their entitlement.