2023-12-31 17:28:53
Au Mali, the emergency social safety net project (Jigisémèjiri) protects the poorest and most vulnerable rural households from the impact of economic shocks and other crises. Since the launch of the project in 2013, the Malian government, with support from the World Bank, has already provided cash transfers to more than 103,000 households. This support, made possible in particular by IDA financing in the amount of $122.4 million, allows beneficiaries to meet their urgent needs, invest in the human capital of their children and strengthen their resilience. .
In 2021, the program successfully implemented mobile cash transfers for almost 3,000 households in the Mopti region, replacing the traditional cash distribution method. Beneficiaries found that using mobile technologies to access their payments was easier, faster, more secure and less expensive. A recent evaluation of the pilot project, supported byInitiative G2Px (a), provided strong evidence, paving the way for the expansion of mobile phone cash transfers in social safety net programs.
Cash transfers bring essential resources directly to households when they need them most. Usually, these transfers are distributed to beneficiaries in cash at payment points, on a specific date. However, communication regarding payment dates can be slow in remote areas of the Mopti region. This often means that beneficiaries must quickly arrange transport from their village to reach payment points on time, thus interrupting their work or family activities. As one man describes it: “We receive the information the same day payment is due. Often, the information arrives following we have already left for work. We therefore have to interrupt our work to collect the money, which represents a major inconvenience for us. »
Mobile money transfers offer greater flexibility to beneficiaries. They receive an SMS alert when their payment is available and can choose the day, time and location to collect their money. This way, they do not have to sacrifice working days and payments can be withdrawn without rush. For those who participated in the Mopti mobile transfer pilot project, travel time and costs were reduced or even eliminated. Mobile money transfer agents are easily accessible in most villages, and recipients can often walk from their homes.
The security risk in Mali is high and crowds of people can encourage malicious activities. With the cash payment method, large groups of beneficiaries gather on the day of collection. They often have to wait a long time at the payment point until their village is called for distribution, and may not return home until following dark. As one beneficiary describes it: “When there is a payment, we spend the whole day at the municipal office. We leave our village in the morning and only return in the evening – a real difficulty for us. »
With mobile money transfers, beneficiaries are better protected once morest these risks and delays. They are free to choose when and where to collect their payments, which means fewer people show up on the given day and less waiting time at service points. With mobile payment, it usually takes no more than 15 minutes to collect payments: “Once there, they give us the money without any problem. We never had any problems with queues. »
For mobile money transfers to work, recipients must provide identification and have access to a cell phone. Furthermore, a solid network of mobile agents as well as sufficient liquidity must be available. The registration process is simple and once registered, beneficiaries receive a SIM card for notifications and to collect their payments from mobile money transfer agents. “To tell the truth, we did not encounter any difficulty at any stage [d’inscription] “. Access to cell phones and use of mobile money is already widespread in the Mopti region, making this option even more convenient for most beneficiaries.
Even people who cannot read or write can use a telephone with the help of trusted family members and friends. One woman explains: “My granddaughter is always available to read my phone messages to me. »
By leveraging the flexibility of mobile payments, the Mopti pilot simplifies the cash transfer process for beneficiaries. The key lessons learned from this pilot can guide future projects and research on social cash transfers via mobile telephony. Opportunities for further study include the option of using mobile money wallets that beneficiaries already have for cash transfer payments, implementing voice alerts for beneficiaries who do not know read, developing a telephone feedback process to improve upstream communication, and educating beneficiaries on the safe and secure use of mobile money transfers.
Source: worldbank.org
Auteurs
Anne Hilger, Economist
Sarah Patella, Consultant
Tounwende Alain Sawadogo, Senior Digital Development Specialist
Kalilou Sylla, Senior Social Protection Specialist
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#lessons #learned #Mali #experience
