Education Minister Aseri Radrodro has addressed the ongoing delays in the disbursement of the $200 back-to-school assistance payments, clarifying that the primary cause of the holdup is the incorrect information submitted by parents. Minister Radrodro highlighted that while the funds are readily available for distribution, any inaccuracies in the applications—such as wrong phone numbers, unregistered SIM cards, or missing identification details like FEMIS ID or BRN numbers—prevent the processing of payments.
To mitigate these issues, the Ministry’s fraud prevention system flags any discrepancies found in applications, which pauses the disbursement of payments until the necessary corrections are made. As part of its initiative to resolve these issues, Ministry staff have made over 3,000 verification calls to parents, underlining the importance of precise information provided at the school level.
The Ministry of Education has discovered around 9,800 data discrepancies, with 5,507 applications now verified and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for payment processing. Minister Radrodro mentioned that many of these problems have already been addressed; issues included cases where multiple names were connected to a single phone number, discrepancies in private school registrations, and incorrect contact details or previous missed payments.
“We are committed to every child. But the process starts at the school gate with a pen and a form. Accurate lodging is the only way to ensure timely payment. We ask for cooperation and accuracy, rather than misplaced frustration,” Minister Radrodro stated.
He also noted that the Ministry of Finance will only process payments after verification is completed. As of Wednesday, the second batch of payments, encompassing over 1,000 applications, has been processed, and work continues on the remaining cases. Minister Radrodro is encouraging parents to double-check the information they submit to avoid any further delays in receiving their assistance payments. Through enhanced communication and accurate data, the Ministry aims to streamline the process, ensuring that students receive the support they need as they return to school.