Deputy Speaker, the reregistration process does not require beneficiaries to wait to access their grants, as the reregistration process is done in phases. Beneficiaries who have not yet been reregistered continue to receive their grants using their old payment cards. Reregistration takes place after the payment of grants, and the new smart card issued on reregistration is then used to effect payment during the following month's payment cycle. The payment of grants is therefore not impacted on by reregistration.
The benefits of those who have not reregistered will be dealt with once the reregistration process has been concluded. Those beneficiaries who have not reregistered will be identified, and letters of notice will be sent to them requesting them to present themselves for reregistration within a period of 30 days. Should beneficiaries still not reregister within this specified period, the grant will be suspended and another notice will be issued to them. Failure to respond within 30 days will result in the cancellation of the grant.
The benefit to the grant beneficiaries is that they can access their grants through various channels, namely, cash pay points at any ATM. We should also note that normal ATM withdrawal costs apply at any of the identified merchants. The SA Social Service Agency, Sassa-branded smart payment card is accepted at all ATMs and merchant stores that have a point-of-sale device which forms part of the national payment system. A further benefit to beneficiaries is that the grant is available from the first day of the month at ATMs and points of sale that form part of the national payment system. Furthermore, beneficiaries can determine the amount of money they want to withdraw according to their own specific requirements when withdrawing from ATMs and points of sale.
The new Sassa-branded smart payment card has a chip that contains the biometric information of the beneficiary. In addition, the card is PIN protected to allow withdrawals at ATMs and points of sale where biometric identification is not possible. The card further provides an electronic certificate which confirms proof of life, amount paid, time paid and the recipient paid, including the procurator. A receipt is generated after each payment, verifying proof of payment to each beneficiary, as well as the amount of money withdrawn. The system also enables a one-to-many search to identify duplicate beneficiaries, thereby eliminating ghost beneficiaries. Thank you.