More than half of the approved recipients of the Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) program has been processed to date.
This is according to the ESP Implementation Oversight Committee.
The Committee reveals that 86 percent of the approved applications for projects under the Fisheries Sector together with approved recipients who are Copra buyers have been processed to date.
Over 80 percent of the payments towards recipients who were approved under the Tourism sector have also had their payments processed whilst 70 percent of Kava recipients have been processed.
All approved recipients under Honey and Noni projects have already received their payments.
According to the ESP Implementation Oversight Committee, other projects that are currently in progress and in facilitation for issuing of Letters of Offer and payments are Timber milling, Coconut farmers, Cocoa farmers, and Furniture recipients.
Meanwhile, the Government’s Economic Stimulus Package Committee will resume issuing of Letter of Offer to approved applicants later this week.
This is after the committee have decided to suspend the issuing of Letters of Offer for a week.
The purpose of the break period was to allow officials to work on reconciliation of payments, review and update the records of approved applications.
This exercise is necessary as this will provide information towards the review and monitoring of the program which will happen from April and leading towards the audit of the implementation of the ESP program.
The Government through the ESP Committee is fully committed to the accountable implementation of the ESP in the interest of wellbeing of the people, national stability and economic empowerment.
Source: OPMC Media Release