Through the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, the government will continue the cash handout programme to poor and vulnerable people affected by Covid-19 in the second phase of the fourth round and continue the programme to the third phase until early April.

The government has spent more than $230 million helping more than 680,000 families.

In a notice dated February 24, the ministry said that from June 25, 2020 to February 24, 2021, the government has spent $230.58 million helping the needy affected by the pandemic. The government had launched the programme in the fourth round of the second phase after the first and second rounds were launched two times and the third round was launched three times. The fourth round would be launched three times.

The notice further said that as of February 24, in the first phase of the fourth round, the ministry had provided cash to 2,731,161 people representing 688,539 families. In the second phase, they have received cash for 30 days from February 25 to March 24, 2021. In the third phase, they would receive cash from March 25 to April 24.

Ministry’s social welfare department director Chhour Sopanha told The Post on March 18 that because the crisis has prolonged in Cambodia, the government decided to provide more cash from March 25 to April 24.

“As planned, the cash handout programme would have ended by March 24. But we will continue the programme further from March 25 to April 24, 2021,” he said.

But after April, the government would re-evaluate the situation.

“We knew that a decision to continue or not is made by chairman of the National Social Protection Council [Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth]. He will make the decision according to the current situation and with the approval of Prime Minister Hun Sen,” he further said.

He added that the cash handout was divided into three categories. The first is for poor people in Phnom Penh, the second for main centres outside of Phnom Penh and the third for rural areas. Each family would be provided with cash according to the number of family members and victims.

“We give cash according to the categories of families ... the more members, they have, the bigger the package we give. Later, we check the package. Recipients fall into four categories: children under age five, elderly aged 60 and over, disabled people and AIDS-positive families. So, families may receive different amounts of cash, but it depends on how each case is evaluated,” he added.

However, he continued that on average, one would be provided worth 200,000 riel ($50) to rural poor and $80 for the poor in Phnom Penh.

“On average in a rural area, one family receives 200,000 riel a month, while city-dwellers on average, they receive $80 to $100. It is not unplanned how we distribute the cash. The provision is based on the study of income. This study is joined by World Bank and the Asian Development Bank,” he continued.

The ministry also said that families who had already verified their names in the first phase of rounds one to four can get payments at Wing counters, they were not required to reverify. But for families who have valid IDPoor Cards and have yet to verify their names in the second phase from rounds one to four, and poor families who have just received IDPoor Cards can verify their names at commune halls to receive the handout in the second phase of the fourth round.