Saudi cash transfer to needy to start next week
Riyadh, December 12, 2017
Saudi Arabia's Cabinet today approved details of the Citizen’s Account (CA) policy and confirmed that first payments will be made to eligible Saudi households on December 21.
The Citizen’s Account is a national cash transfer programme first announced by the government in December 2016 and opened for registrations in February 2017, said a Saudi Press Agency report.
The programme aims at increasing the efficiency of government benefits distribution by targeting the less fortunate in society, it said.
It is aimed at easing the direct and indirect impact on low and medium income households resulting from the ongoing economic reforms such as the gasoline price adjustment, the electricity tariffs adjustment, and the value added tax (VAT) on all food and beverage items.
It will also encourage sensible consumption of the aforementioned products, the report said.
Today’s announcement provides detailed guidance on the eligibility conditions to receive the CA payment and its calculation.
The criteria specify that the beneficiaries have to be citizens of Saudi Arabia (with the exception of the son or daughter of a citizen and non-Saudi spouses) and permanently residing in the country.
The entitlement amount for eligible Saudi households will differ depending on three main factors: the total income of the household, number of dependents in that household and their age.
The amount will be reviewed on a quarterly basis to ensure appropriate and adequate support for eligible Saudi households, the report said.
The CA amount will not affect any current Government support payments received by the households.
