Timor Leste’s COVID-19 cash transfer: good if you got it

Bu Wilson, from Hau Meni & Associates joined researchers from The Asia Foundation to understand how the Government of Timor-Leste’s COVID cash transfers impacted diverse members of the Timor-Leste population. In June, Timor-Leste joined 157 other countries that provided conditional and unconditional cash transfers to their populace as a way of responding to the economic shocks of COVID-19 control measures. Global evidence suggests that cash transfer programs have consistent positive impacts on food security, and are recognised as a particularly effective way of providing social assistance due to reduced administrative and operational costs, the increased speed and flexibility of response, the multiplier effect on local markets and jobs, and the choice and control it provides to people to buy what they really need. The research also examined who missed out on the payment and why and to this end, TAF partnered with Timorese LGBTI advocacy organisations CODIVA and Arcoiris Timor-Leste. Findings included that inconsistencies in the application of the household registration system used to identify eligible cash recipients resulted in the exclusion of LGBTI people as well as women living in crisis accommodation.