Staff Writer
The Ministry of Finance says as of Monday it had received a total of 578,863 applications for the Emergency Income Grant.
According to the ministry 234,345 of the applications have been approved, translating to total payments of N$176.76 million.
The Emergency Income Grant (EIG) is a once-off payment of N$750 in cash per qualifying person introduced by government through the Ministry of Finance to assist individuals on the basis of having lost income or experienced difficult circumstances during the COVID-19 lockdown periods.
The grant according to the Finance ministry seeks to provide interim relief for the most vulnerable in our society at household level in all regions of the country and help to ensure that a basic standard of living is maintained during the lockdown periods.
Students according to the ministry do not qualify as they are deemed not to be economically active.
The Ministry of Finance expects the grant to benefit a total of 749,000 people and cost the government N$562 million.
