CCT beneficiary selection may be abused --NGO exec

Basing his opinion on the experience of cash transfer programs in other countries, Social Watch coordinator and Third World Institute Executive Director Roberto Bissio said selecting beneficiaries is one of the most contentious segments of a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.

Bissio said the process is vulnerable to corruption and abuse of power. “The problems related with cash transfer are mainly around the decision of whom do you give the money to. How do you determine who is entitled to it or not? And that is one of the aspects where many, many things can go wrong,” he said.

He said there can be a lot of biases and problems when determining who is poor enough for the CCTs. Even if there are specific criteria on how to go about with the selection, there can still be technical problems. For example, income is difficult to peg with most of the poorest having irregular and sporadic employment. It also disregards the origin of an appliance, which can have been won in a contest or was given as a gift. Having a flat screen TV, for example – regardless how you got it - would most likely exclude the family from the program.

He further explained that for CCTs should be coupled with job provision and other services to really alleviate people from poverty.

However, he still maintains that CCTs can be used by nations, even if governments realize that universal services like education and health care for all is better.

In the Philippines, the Aquino administration’s decision to continue and expand the CCT program has become controversial.

It had sparked a debate in the House of Representatives, especially after the House leadership approved the President’s national budget without much amendments. A couple of days ago, Senator Edgardo Angara said that amid some senators’ announcement that they will realign the CCT budget, the Senate will heed the administration’s request that they give the proposed national budget a chance.