Prime
SAGE is a right, not ‘doling out money’
What you need to know:
- SAGE is a lifeline to the beneficiaries. It is NOT “a mockery”.
I did not have the benefit and/or the privilege of listening to the “voices of some of the beneficiaries of the Government policy of doling out money to elderly people” from Kayunga District that Simba FM aired and which your columnist Alan Tacca referred to in his article titled; Let elders die without mockery (Sunday Monitor, April 16, 2023).
As an Older Person myself and one who has been associated with the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) Programme from its inception in 2010, I wish to correct Mr Tacca on several mistakes in his article:-
SAGE is a Social Protection intervention for vulnerable Older Persons. It is NOT “doling out money”. Social Protection is a contract between the government and its citizens. SAGE is a right. Please read the National Social Protection Policy, 2015.
The monthly allowance started at shs. 20,000 in 2011 and was increased annually by Shs1,000 up to the current Shs25,000. It was NEVER “initially supposed to be bigger” as Mr Tacca asserts.
The entry age during the Pilot Phase between 2011 and 2015 was 60 years for Karamoja Sub-region and 65 years for the rest of the 15 districts at the time.
After the Pilot Phase, there was a national outcry and demand for a national roll-out covering the whole country. Two schemes were introduced, (a) rolling out the SAGE to cover an additional 40 districts over the next 5 years and 5 more Districts every Financial Year thereafter and (b) enrolling the oldest 100 older persons per sub-county. However, in 2018, Parliament passed a motion for SAGE to cover the whole country BUT raised the entry age to 80 years to accommodate the costs involved.
This entry age of 80 years is to be lowered as and when funds allow, to 75 years and eventually to 65 years or even to 60 years.
SAGE has very clear, simple and straightforward guidelines for enrollment and payments. However, the need for beneficiaries to have a national ID may inconvenience some older persons who hitherto saw no need to register and have IDs or those with IDs but with incorrect information e.g date of birth or misspelt names.
It is on record that SAGE has turned out to be one of the best implemented Government programmes and older persons invariably get all their money even when there may be inevitable delays in payments e.g. owing to late or inadequate release of funds by Government.
It is also on record that what Mr Tacca calls “this tiny pittance” of shs. 25,000 monthly has changed the lives of beneficiaries, orphans and vulnerable children under their care. Mr. Tacca, half a loaf is better than no loaf anytime, any day, anywhere.
Mr Tacca, SAGE is a lifeline to the beneficiaries. It is NOT “a mockery”. Many older persons may in fact die without it. Leave politics out of it.
Finally, Mr Tacca, please do not mix issues of older persons with those of the youth! Older persons are the voice of reason, their vulnerability notwithstanding.
John Orach, Senior Citizen
