BURLINGTON, Vt. — As the COVID-19 case count continues to climb, Ugo Gentilini, global lead for social assistance at the World Bank, has been keeping track of another statistic that is on the rise: the number of cash transfer programs that countries are deploying for social protection during the crisis.
“What we have seen now in terms of expansion of coverage, but also in terms of generosity of those transfers being ... almost doubled in size, didn't occur by accident,” Gentilini told Devex.
“This is because of the evidence that was built beforehand, and that somewhat clearly shows that cash transfers are not really a cost, but they are an investment. They pay out. They pay out in very different ways. They help build human capital. They help with enhancing resilience. They help with economic and financial inclusion,” he said.