By Nanai Laveitiga Tuiletufuga

More than three years later after Cyclone Evan devastated Samoa, 3,493 farmers and fishermen have reaped the benefits of US$5 million ($12.5 million tala) exclusive electronic voucher grant funded by the World Bank.

Known as the E-Voucher assistance, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries reported to the last Cabinet Development Committee meeting the progress of the assistance.

To date, 7,494 farmers and fishers have registered for the assistance earmarked to finance farming and fishing equipment only.

From that number, 3,493 have received help valued at close to $5 million tala.

The remaining 2,198 applicants should be receiving their allocation before June this year.

There are two categories which include recipients who sustained serious damages from Cyclone Evan receiving a total allocation of $1,150 tala with recipients sustaining minor damages to their farms and fishing gear each receiving not more than $700 tala.

PROJECT HISTORY
According to a post-disaster needs assessment completed by the World Bank shortly following the cyclone, the country’s agriculture sector was hardest hit. More than 7,000 families on Upolu lost crops, livestock, and farming equipment, and many communities continue to be affected by the loss of income.

Earlier in 2014, a small-scale pilot project tested an innovative e-voucher program which provided grants to 400 households in five villages on Upolu.

These funds enable farmers like to rebuild damaged livestock shelters, restore fencing, purchase planting materials, and invest in new equipment and tools.

Supported by Digicel Samoa, the unique e-voucher payment system piloted by the government makes use of simple mobile phone technology to provide vouchers to affected families.

The system works by transferring funds to mobile phones that have been given a specialized chip.

A tailored system then allows purchase of more than 5,000 pre-approved “white listed�? items from designated vendors. Items authorized for sale from hardware and specialist stores include farming and fishing equipment and building materials.

It’s the first time that this type of technology has been used in the Pacific and its appeal is undeniable.

The potential for misuse is reduced by linking white lists to point-of-sale systems. Paperwork is minimized and electronic databases facilitate reliable monitoring and evaluation.

“The technology is absolutely cutting-edge yet simple to use,�? Francis Thomsen, Chief Operating Officer at Digicel Samoa is quoted by a World Bank press statement.

“Mobile Money or Mobile Wallet technology is considered a key innovation for broadening access to financial services for the most remote and rural communities. The solution can also ensure that those in need of assistance receive monetary aid within minutes.�?

The initiative builds on earlier World Bank assistance in Samoa aimed at delivering short term disaster relief through budget support, by focusing on longer term recovery.

Developers say that the new system could enable targeted payments across the Pacific, where access to mobile phones has recently escalated to reach more than two million people.
Additionally, the technology could be used not only for rapid disaster response, but also for social or other insurance, or services delivery.

Building on the success of the pilot program, the project is rolling out the e-voucher system to a total of nearly 7,400 farmers and fishermen, many of whom will have received funds by the June this year. This will provide a significant boost to agriculture production and subsequent incomes, helping Samoa to build a more resilient agricultural sector for the future.

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