Johannesburg-based fintech company, Paycode, has been asked by the World Bank to assist the National Institute of Social Action (INAS) in Mozambique with their COVID19 crisis response.
Paycode successfully deployed Phase 1 of their world-class biometric identity and digital banking technology solution for INAS in Mozambique in 2019. The Phase 1 project onboarded over 18 000 social grant recipients in deep rural areas with a unique biometric identity and smartcard. Beneficiaries can claim their social grant payments from cash trucks that visit their remote villages every 8 weeks.
Paycode has been asked to use the technology to provide COVID19 emergency relief social grants to a further 600 000 beneficiaries. The COVID19 crisis relief social grants will be given to Mozambique’s most vulnerable citizens who will each receive 1500 meticals for a period of 6 months through a “last mile delivery” programme to people in cities, towns and remote villages. Citizens will receive social grants using their biometric smartcards to receive cash payouts or spend the money at designated retailers. The country’s Post Office management have confirmed that over 200 post office branches will be made available so that citizens can both register for and receive the COVID19 social grant at their nearest post office.
Paycode CEO, Ralph Pecker, said, “Our team at Paycode was able to prove our remarkable operational capabilities and responsiveness in Phase 1, so we were approached by the World Bank and INAS to extend the project for the COVID19 crisis response. From the time that we were approached to assist, our team worked around the clock to reduce the project lead time from months to days because we know that every day that goes by means that more lives are potentially lost due to the COVID19 crisis. Working closely with the Mozambican government we were able to rapidly turnaround a COVID19 crisis relief proposal which they approved within 48 hours. We will start onboarding COVID19 social grant beneficiaries on Monday 11th May, less than 14 days after the initial engagement date – a truly remarkable feat. Paycode’s demonstrated speed of deployment and digital agility means that we can get help to those who need it most in the shortest amount of time.”
