TANZANIA, SWITZERLAND GRANT KICKS OFF PSSN II PROGRAMME

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AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has signed two-bilateral grant agreement with the Switzerland government worth 44.1bn/- for the Performance Based Health Basket Fund and Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) II programme.

The agreements were signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr Dotto James and Switzerland Ambassador, Didier Chassot.

In the first agreement, the Swiss government has injected 39.15bn/- to finance the Second Phase of Productive Social Safety Net Programme (PSSN II) 2020-2023.

The second one is the amendment to the Grant Agreement amounting 4.95bn/- as additional contribution to the Performance Based Health Basket Fund, 2020-21.

Speaking after signing the agreement, Mr James said the PSSN II project being undertaken by Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) will improve access to income earning opportunities and socio-economic services for the targeted poor households.

It will also, said Mr James, enhance and protect the human capital of their children as it reduces poverty and improves human capital, improves consumption and increases engagement in income generating activities.

The grant, the paymaster general said, will as well increase school enrolment and health seeking behaviours for children.

The signing of the PSSN agreement brings to an end PSSN I which was implemented from February 2013 to December 2019 in 159 local government authorities in Mainland and Zanzibar.

He cited some of the PSSN I output among others as increased enrollment of 1,805, 613 children for primary schools and 448,409 for secondary schools from the targeted poor households.

Other achievements are provision of temporary employment to the poor households for those who were capable of working, whereas 253,117 participated through public works.

The Permanent Secretary said evaluation of PSSN I had shown success in enabling the poorest households to participate in production and ability to survive the natural hazards, reduce poverty and to build human capital.

He said PSSN II which will be implemented in four years, with a budget of 2.02tr/-, aimed at reaching poor households in villages and streets which were not reached in implementation of PSSN I.

On the Performance Based Health Basket Fund, 2020-21, he said the objective was to strengthen the primary health care system, to improve performance of health care workers and quality of health service delivery.

It also intends to improve access to quality primary health care services and improve social accountability as well as to support health sector strategic plans with its respective ultimate goals.

He expressed government commitment to improve health services provision by supplying medicines, equipment, reagents and medical expertise.

On his part, the Swiss Ambassador, Mr Chassot expressed continued bilateral relations by supporting fully to attain sustainable goals and economic agenda.

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