The Ministry of Finance has released K837 Million for Social protection programmes.
Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa announced this in a statement yesterday.
Mr Nkulukusa said K402 Million is for Social Cash Transfer scheme, targeted to raise beneficiaries from over 800 thousand to one million next year.
He also said that K200,25 Million will be expended on pensioners under the Public Service Pension Fund as their contemporaries belonging to the Local Authority Superannuation fund are earmarked to receive K50 Million.
And One Hundred and 30 million Kwacha will be channeled to the Food Security Pack Programme whose beneficiaries will be scaled up from over 263 thousand to 290 thousand next year.
Mr Nkulukusa said the action has been taken to ensure a sustained protection of the poor, vulnerable and pensioners.
He has tasked all implementing Government agencies responsible for the funds to deploy an effective payment system.
And President Hakainde Hichilema posted on his Facebook page that government has started paying off retirees who spent many years waiting for their pension.
President Hichilema said in the 2022 National budget, Government has allocated 2.1 billion Kwacha to dismantle the outstanding arrears.
