A new generation of government-to-person (G2P) payment systems is emerging in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

As described in CGAP’s new publication, “The Future of G2P Payments: Expanding Customer Choice,” modern approaches of transferring cash assistance can reduce costs for governments, significantly improve recipients’ access to payments and bring digital G2P one step closer to becoming the large-scale conduit for financial inclusion that observers have always hoped it would be.

Many low-income country governments have begun to digitize government-to-person (G2P) payments by making electronic transfers directly into the accounts of individual customers.

While digitization has helped to fill the gaps in delivery, further advances are needed. Building modern payments systems can: Improve the customer experience by allowing customers to choose which providers and accounts they use to receive funds; they have a wider array of service points from which to withdraw cash; and they can switch providers.

This note describes the main strategies used by, and available to, countries to deliver cash support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the note is to inform both ongoing responses to COVID-19 and medium to long term investments in delivery mechanisms that could be used to respond to future crises.

The Informal Workers and Social Protection background note outlines the options for providing social protection to informal workers, with a particular focus on the implications for COVID-19 response and urban settings.

In order to do so, it provides information on the impacts of COVID-19 on earnings and wellbeing among informal economy workers, considering the opportunities the crisis presents for reform to more efficiently link informal workers with social protection systems.

It is essential to understand ‘Who’ will be affected, ‘Where’, ‘How’ and ‘When’ to better understand the ‘What’ of the social protection response to COVID-19.

This document provides key considerations and examples of how gender and social inclusion (GESI) can be integrated into potential COVID-19 response options/strategies via existing social protection and / or humanitarian programmes (or a hybrid approach, leveraging social protection delivery systems and capacity). It aims to highlight key considerations for integrating GESI into social protection design and operation, in an effort to increase wellbeing and dignity, while minimising potential negative effects on vulnerable populations.

Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19 - Expert Advice Helpline, SPACE

Stakeholder Profile Publications Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19 - Expert Advice Helpline, SPACE

2020 . Publisher:  Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19 - Expert Advice Helpline, SPACE

This is a living document tracking relevant COVID-19 and Social Protection materials. 

blogs.worldbank.org (14.07.2020) While the world is still in the midst of dealing with the health and socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) shock, one key lesson is already emerging: Social protection is proving its potential as an emergency instrument to protect affected households.

NOW Grenada (21.07.2020) The Ministry of Finance through the Covid-19 Economic Support Secretariat (CESS) announces the deadline for receipt of applications to the Income and first time Payroll Stimulus Programme as of Wednesday, 22 July 2020 at 4 pm.

This cut off for receipt of applications relates to the following categories:Hotels, Restaurants/ Bars and Small Travel Agents, Tourist Vendors, Market Vendors, Bus Owners, Taxi Owners, Hair Dressers, Barbers, And other tourist related businesses.