http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=96825&d=30&m=5&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
Wednesday, 30, May, 2007 (13, Jumada al-Ula, 1428)
Cash Cards for Women Prisoners
Raid Qusti, Arab News
RIYADH, 30 May 2007 - In an unprecedented move, the Women's Social
Insurance Office in Riyadh has begun distributing ATM cards to social insurance
beneficiaries in prison, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced yesterday.
Fatimah, a Saudi prisoner in the Women's Jail in Riyadh, was the first to
receive such an ATM card. She will now be able to withdraw the money she is
entitled to from an ATM without depending on family members to receive the sum
or distribute it according to their discretion.
Female administration members of the program earlier coordinated with the
General Directorate of Prisons in the Kingdom as well as the General
Administration of Prisons in Riyadh to visit the women's jail in order to
identify prisoners entitled to social insurance.
According to Asma Al-Khamees, head of the Women's Social Insurance Office
in Riyadh, the office was able to identify many prisoners who were in dire
need. Approval was given after careful study of applications from the women
prisoners. "Many prisoners are divorcees, widows and mothers who are entitled
to receive social insurance and who need the money badly," she explained. She
said that during the visit, office staff distributed leaflets to prisoners
which explained who was eligible for social insurance.
Al-Khamees also pointed out that the office had registered the names of
women prisoners who were eligible for social insurance but who, for a variety
of reasons, had never registered with the Social Insurance Program.
"Because of such difficulties, it was necessary that ATM cards and
personal identification numbers be given to the women inside the prison," she
said. "All who have been identified as eligible for social insurance will
receive their cards in the same manner."
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the total amount of social
insurance and pensions paid last month in Saudi Arabia was SR784 million. In
all, 468,457 people benefited directly.
Deputy Minister for Social Affairs, Muhammad Al-Uqla, said, "The majority
of the money in the social insurance programs comes from Zakah and that is why
it is necessary to be extremely cautious in its distribution. We want to make
sure that all recipients are entitled to receive it according to Shariah."
He said that all beneficiaries of social insurance were able to receive
their payments from ATM machines as special cards had been distributed to them.
Al-Rajhi Bank earlier renewed its agreement to open bank accounts and
provide ATM cards to social insurance beneficiaries in the Kingdom for another
three years.
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