RSG Inaugurates SCSC To Implement Riv-CARES

In a bid to cushion the effects of lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic,  the Rivers State Government, has inaugurated the State CARES Steering Committee(SCSC), for the  Rivers State Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus(Riv-CARES) programme in Port Harcourt.
 Inaugurating the committee last friday, the state Commissioner for Finance overseeing the State  Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning,  Mr. Isaac Kamalu stated that the programme was supported by World Bank to alleviate the sufferings of the poor masses.
 Kamalu noted that the objective of  Riv-CARES programme was to expand access to livelihood support and food Security Services for the poor and vulnerable masses.
 According to him, “the objective of Riv-CARES programme is to expand access to livelihood and support food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms”. 
 He noted that the programme was in tandem with the vision of the governor Wike-led administration and should therefore be given utmost importance. 
  Furthermore, he said that programme was focused on “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and individual households and its relevance to current and future livelihood to tackle youth unemployment… it is therefore imperative that the state’s festering community committee programme provides the needed oversight and support to ensure the attainment of programme objectives”. 
 He charge members of the state  CARES Coordinating Units and Delivery Platforms, saying that the objectives of this programme were “achieved by diligently implementing activities of  Riv-CARES within the gamut of policies of this administration and World Bank’s procurement fiduciary guidelines knowing that this programme is based on Performance for Results (PforR). 
 Also speaking, the Director, Planning and Implementation, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Imaonyoni Ephraim-George, in an overview said the Riv-CARES programme would carry out emergency operations using existing and newly emerging vulnerable and poor households, agricultural value chains and Micro and Small Enterprises affected by the economic crisis.
 She said, “in this programme World Bank has made available 750 million dollars to which The Rivers State government would secure 20 million US Dollars as a credit receipt.

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa