Census activities for the first phase of the Aswesuma welfare programme will conclude on May 31, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development said in a statement on Thursday.
Officers from the ministry are currently visiting the homes of Aswesuma applicants to verify entries as part of the nationwide data-collection drive. The ministry urged the public to provide accurate information and cooperate with visiting officers during the remaining ten days.
It warned that providing false or misleading information with the intent of obtaining welfare benefits is an offence under the Welfare Benefits Act and carries a penalty of up to one year in prison.
Phase I covers households flagged for verification under the targeting framework that has been the subject of multiple parliamentary disclosures this year. The Welfare Benefits Board confirmed in mid-April that first-round Aswesuma payments would resume in July once the surveys are complete, after benefits were paused for re-verification.
Aswesuma has been under sustained accountability pressure: the Finance Ministry admitted in early May that it had recovered Rs.248mn in incorrectly disbursed benefits, while the Free Lawyers Association has separately flagged double-payment cases for investigation. A broader digital overhaul of the welfare system is being prepared in parallel.
Applicants who have not yet been visited by census officers are advised to ensure household members are available during the verification window and to retain copies of any documents submitted.
