Khartoum: Secretary-General of the Zakat Chamber Dr. Yahya Ahmed Abdullah Al-Qamrawi met on Wednesday in his office with Commissioner-General of the Social Safety, Solidarity and Poverty Reduction Commission Dr. Mohamed Ali to discuss ways of strengthening partnership and cooperation between the two sides in a number of programs and projects related to combating poverty and achieving social protection for targeted groups.
According to Sudan News Agency, the meeting addressed productive asset ownership programs for poor families, the school feeding program in the most vulnerable localities, and the Unified Social Registry Project for poor families, which aims to establish a comprehensive and accurate database of eligible households to improve the targeting of social and economic interventions.
Al-Qamrawi stressed the importance of partnership with the Commission and called for the establishment of a joint administrative body to oversee implementation of partnership programs and conduct field follow-up on projects. He explained that the joint committee's mission includes developing programs and activities, defining roles, and setting implementation timelines, noting that the Zakat Chamber already has a prepared plan for implementing such projects and partnerships.
He also underscored the importance of coordination with partner institutions, particularly the Savings and Social Development Bank, emphasizing the need to distribute projects according to the needs of each state and the nature of appropriate economic activities, with clear implementation timelines. Al-Qamrawi further noted the availability of qualified human resources among graduates who could be utilized in operating and following up on productive projects, stressing that institutional integration contributes to the success of programs and achievement of objectives benefiting poor and needy groups.
For his part, Commissioner-General Dr. Mohamed Ali stated that the visit aimed at discussing joint projects and implementation mechanisms, pointing to the broad areas of cooperation with the Zakat Chamber due to convergence in ideas and objectives. He affirmed that the partnership between the two sides has achieved tangible successes and contributed to the exchange of expertise and strengthening social action.
He explained that the Unified Social Registry Project represents an integrated electronic database for classifying household data, benefiting social protection units, ministry institutions, and various organizations by providing accurate information that helps design suitable interventions and direct support to deserving families based on updated and verified data. He added that the project was first introduced in 2022, followed by a ministerial decision establishing a committee comprising the Central Bureau of Statistics, Civil Registry, the Social Safety and Poverty Reduction Commission, the Zakat Chamber, the National Health Insurance Fund, and other relevant entities.
Regarding the school feeding program, he noted that it targets the most vulnerable localities according to scientific indicators and studies, and is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and National authorities along with several partners. He pointed out that 2.5 percent of the Poor Fund allocation has been earmarked to support school feeding and that the program is currently being implemented in eight states. He expressed his satisfaction with the partnership with the Zakat Chamber in this program due to its importance in supporting the educational process and improving students' conditions.
The meeting also discussed a project aimed at enabling poor families to own productive enterprises through a partnership involving the Zakat Chamber, the Savings and Social Development Bank, and the Social Safety and Poverty Reduction Commission. Dr. Mohamed Ali called for increased funding for productive projects allocated to individuals, stressing the importance of adhering to financing controls and installment repayments to ensure sustainability and resource circulation. He noted that the status of beneficiaries who fail to comply or are unable to properly manage projects is reviewed according to the governing regulations of the program.
The meeting concluded by underscoring the importance of enhancing coordination among partner institutions and developing joint mechanisms to expand social protection coverage, economically empower poor families, and achieve sustainable development goals.