The government will provide case assistance to more than five million the grass-root households as the 2nd aid scheme and has started providing a cash assistance of Ks-20,000 each to the households in Pobba Thiri, Meiktila and Kalaw via mobile payment, said U Zaw Htay, Spokesperson of President Office at a press conference at the Presidential Residence on 19 June.

Coordination and discussions were made on the areas with easy access to the mobile payment. After that, the government has chosen three townships as a pilot plan. The first is Pobba Thiri in Nay Pyi Taw. The second is Meiktila in Mandalay Region and The last is Kalaw Township in Shan State, he added

According to the COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP), the government collects the list of low-income households and their mobile numbers in order to provide cash assistance via mobile payment. The government will provide cash assistance through Wave Money, Bank Payment and the payments by mobile operators.

The government will provide cash assistance of Ks 1.4 million to the households which are not included in the lists collected for the first assistance program and the households which returned from neighbouring countries.

The Central Committee for Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19 has issued a directive for the cash assistance. The government has also directed the relevant ministries to proceed with it in a swift manner, he continued.

The government spent Ks-50 billion on the distribution of free rice, edible oil, salt, bean and onion to more than four million population from the low-income families in the holidays in April. Some low-income families were not included in this scheme.