Limpho Sello
THE MINISTRY of Social Development has expanded its National Information System for Social Assistance (NISSA) programmes database by including an additional 60 000 households in 10 community councils in the Leribe district.
Social Development Minister, Molahlehi Letlotlo recently launched the NISSA expansion in Leribe.
NISSA is a single registry that stores socio-economic data for targeting, planning, managing, and monitoring Social Protection Programmes.
To date 46 out of 67 community councils are covered by the NISSA database and this includes 115 000 households reached through the Child Grant Programme (CGP) representing approximately 25percent of the population of the Lesotho. 37percent of these are in the rural areas.
NISSA Manger, Setlaba Phalatsi told the Sunday Express that the review of NISSA was recently carried out with a view to develop it into a single national registry.
“Government has rolled out the expansion of the NISSA database by 60 000 households to the ten selected community councils of Matsoku, Bolahla, Sephokong, Ramapepe, Motanasela, Mamant’so, Lehlakeng, Lithipeng, Thaba-Mokhele, and Senqunyane,” Mr Phalatsi said, adding the expansion would “increase the number of households in the NISSA database to 175 000 in 48 councils”.
“NISSA will support sharing of information for coordination purposes so that it is known who gets what from which programme in order to avoid duplication.
“It also serves as a source of information for targeting (beneficiary selection) and assisting in the integration of payments and Case Management and thus reduce costs of delivery of social grants,” Mr Phalatsi said.
He said the programme helped in the identification of the poorest and most vulnerable households so that a list of potential beneficiaries for social assistance can be made even in situations of emergencies such as droughts.
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