The Cape Verdean government expects to spend almost 1.2 million euros this year on the MAIS program, with which it aims to eradicate extreme poverty in Cape Verde by 2026, according to a government decree accessed by Lusa this Wednesday.
According to a decree approved by the Council of Ministers on March 28 and effective from January 1, 2023, 80% of the nearly 140 million escudos (1.2 million euros) allocated to the MAIS program will go this year to finance the transfer of Social Inclusive Income ( RSI) for families living in extreme poverty, totaling 111,950,000 escudos (one million euros).
The remaining 20%, equivalent to almost 28 million escudos (200 thousand euros), will be used to subsidize access to kindergartens and preschools for families living in extreme poverty or social insecurity, and, among other things, to finance projects of organizations, non-governmental organizations and autarky for the operation of day centers and youth spaces.
In the resolution approving this amount, the Government of Cape Verde recalls that extreme poverty “according to the National Institute of Statistics affects 13% of the population of Cape Verde” and that “the elimination of extreme poverty and the reduction of absolute poverty as a top priority for achieving sustainable development » by 2026.
The resolution determines that the criteria for selecting projects for financing by the MAIS Social Fund – within the framework of the program of the same name – must “be guided by the principles of transparency, legality and impartiality.”
It provides for “implementation of care measures through subsidies for attending kindergartens and preschools” for children under five years of age “with priority for the municipalities of Praia and São Vicente”, as well as “all or part of the projects or actions of civil society organizations and city councils “aimed at strengthening social protection for the most vulnerable groups and eradicating extreme poverty, namely day centers and youth spaces, with priority on the islands of Santiago and San Vincent”.
Last January, Lusa announced that the government’s goal of eradicating extreme poverty in Cape Verde by 2026 would be funded by part of the tourist tax and privatization proceeds, as stipulated in the decree-law that created the Fundo Social MAIS. .
The Diploma of January 12 recalls that the situation of extreme poverty in Cape Verde has been exacerbated since 2020 by the economic crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic, the severe drought that hit the archipelago, and the inflationary crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
The MAIS Social Fund, announced in December 2021 by the Government of Cape Verde, approved by the Council of Ministers a year later and which will now be put into operation, aims to “eliminate extreme poverty” by reinforcing “social policies to protect vulnerable groups”. .
The activities of the fund will be financed, as provided for in the decree-law consulted by Lusa, from a fee of 55 escudos (50 euro cents) paid by tourists for each night of their stay in Cape Verde, through a transfer from the Tourism Fund.
It also provides for the transfer of “a percentage of proceeds from privatization and concessions subject to regulation in a separate provision”, as well as “subsidies, appropriations, transfers, grants or donations” through the state budget or “any other public or private persons, national, foreign or international” .
The government of Cape Verde intends to privatize or concession the activities of state-owned companies in the sectors of air and maritime transport, production and distribution of water, import and distribution of medicines, among others.
The Fund will receive assistance from MAIS “people in situations of extreme poverty, predominantly target groups”, such as “poor households in communities without adequate coverage of basic social services”, families who “testify to the deterioration of their living conditions due to shocks”. , namely drought, food crisis, pandemics and natural disasters” or female-led, “preferably those who live in rural areas and have children under the age of 15”.
As well as immigrants, households “caring for children from zero to five years old, elderly or disabled in a dependent situation”, as well as “disabled”, isolated, chronically ill, victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, former drug addicts , former prisoners, forced and voluntary repatriates, as well as “homeless”.
The Decree-Law establishing the MAIS Foundation establishes a control commission, which includes persons responsible for the social policy of the government, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, churches and chambers of commerce.
The Government of Cape Verde announced on January 6 the approval of the National Strategy to End Extreme Poverty by 2026, which affects almost 12,200 families in the archipelago.
“About 13.1% of the population of Cape Verde lives in extreme poverty, given that these are people who have less than what would correspond to 135 escudos. [1,20 euros] a day to meet their basic needs,” explained Janine Lelis, Minister of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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