The government began disbursing the 10 thousand monthly cash incentive under the Third Child Plus Programme. Nearly 4,000 beneficiaries received their first allowance today during the programme’s inaugural ceremony. Since its launch on 4th of last month, more than 5,400 eligible children have registered for the programme.
During the inaugural cash disbursement ceremony, four beneficiaries were presented with cash benefits of 10,000 ngultrum each.
42-year-old Naki from Pema Gatshel, a mother of four children, and 37-year-old Lungten Dema from Trashigang, a mother of three, were among the beneficiaries.
Lungten Dema said, “I am not employed. My husband also earns very little. Such an initiative by the government will benefit me greatly. It will also benefit women who are in the same situation as me. I am very grateful to the government, and I hope the next government will continue to support us.”
“It is my fourth child. The allowance that we are getting will not only benefit me but all mothers in the country. There are a lot of people in rural areas who will benefit from such an initiative,” added Naki.
The remaining 1,500 beneficiaries are expected to receive the allowance once their bank account verification is completed in the coming days.
According to the programme manager, the health ministry is working with the beneficiaries, banks, and the district administrations to complete the verification process.
“Some beneficiaries may be wondering why they didn’t receive the allowance. The reason for the delay is that the list we received from the civil registration contains some individuals with no contact details. We were unable to reach them. We have requested the districts to help us verify the records. We are hoping to disburse the amount within a week or two,” said Sangay Tenzin, the project manager.
He urged the public to be cautious of scams following reports of individuals posing as programme representatives and asking beneficiaries to share personal details, including one-time passwords (OTP).
Sangay Tenzin said,”Even though the payment has been disbursed today, some beneficiaries may be wondering why they did not receive the full Nu 10,000 amount. For instance, some may have received around Nu 9,000. This is because if a child is born on or before the 15th of the month, they receive the full monthly incentive. However, if the child is born after the 15th, the first payment is prorated on a daily basis, at Nu 330.3 per day. Similarly, if a child turns three on or before the 15th of the month, the final month’s allowance is prorated. If the child turns three after the 15th, they receive the full allowance for the final month.”
During the welcome speech, the Health Secretary said that the success of this programme will not be measured solely by the number of beneficiaries or the amount of assistance provided. Its true success will be reflected in healthier children, empowered parents, and stronger families.
He also said that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and every parent deserves the confidence that they can nurture their children without undue financial hardship.
For the current group of 5,458 children, the programme is expected to cost about Nu 858 M until 2029. As more children become eligible each year, the total cost is projected to reach around Nu 1.5bn over the next three years and Nu 2.2bn over the next five years.
Officials also said that it is a long-term commitment by the government, funded through the finance ministry and reviewed every year. The Cabinet approved the programme after considering its financial costs.
The Third Child Plus Programme was launched as one of the measures to address the country’s declining fertility rate, which has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1.
Under the programme, eligible third and subsequent children receive a monthly cash benefit of 10,000 ngultrum from birth until they attain the age of three years.
Sonam Yuden
Edited by Phub Gyem
