Fact-check: The Ministry of Finance and Planning is NOT giving out 3 million USD grants to businesses.

A media official at the Ministry of Finance and Planning says the Facebook page running the advert is fake. According to him, updates from the ministry are shared on the minister’s social media accounts at the moment.

By 211 Check Desk

A sponsored Facebook post on a fake account of the Ministry of Finance and Planning purporting that it is giving out entrepreneurial and agricultural grants of up to three million dollars to small businesses in South Sudan is a hoax.

The advert claims that the grants in an effort to promote investment, agribusiness and economic empowerment is a partnership between USAID and Global Entrepreneurship Network.

“We, therefore, advise entrepreneurs and farmers to take advantage of this great opportunity to apply for the grants by clicking on this link…,” partly reads the hoax.

They then direct users to fill in a google form.

When contacted by 211 Check, a media official at the Ministry of Finance and Planning said the Facebook page running the advert is fake. He says updates from the ministry are shared on the minister’s social media accounts at the moment.

“The grant is a hoax. Currently, we have the minister’s Facebook page and Twitter accounts on his names,” the media official said.

211 Check investigations have found out that the Facebook page was created on 24th February 2022. It is an attempt to collect personal information for monetary gain.

Do not fill out the form and disregard the information.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a Facebook post claiming that the Ministry of Finance and Planning, USAID and Global Entrepreneurship Network is giving grants to small and medium scale businesses and finds it to be FALSE

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.