Marshall Islands Delays Second Enra Universal Basic Income Payment Amid Registration and Vetting Efforts

Enra UBI Payment Postponed to End of March

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has announced a delay in the second quarterly distribution of its ambitious universal basic income (UBI) program, known as Enra. Originally scheduled for the last week of February 2026 and then briefly pushed to the first week of March, the payments are now expected to be disbursed by the end of March 2026. This postponement aims to facilitate the completion of applicant registration and a thorough vetting process for residency.

The Enra program, officially termed the Individual Support Distribution, commenced its first payments on November 26, 2025, providing approximately US$200 quarterly to every resident Marshallese citizen, including children.

Reasons for the Delay: Registration and Residency Vetting

Finance Minister David Paul confirmed that the delay is primarily due to two critical factors: the need to process several thousand new registrations and to verify the actual residency of applicants. Since the initial payment, approximately 4,000 additional citizens have registered for the program, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to over 37,000.

A key concern for program administrators is ensuring that payments are directed only to citizens residing within the RMI. There have been instances where Marshallese citizens registered for Enra while visiting Majuro and subsequently returned to residences outside the country. To address this, the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (MISSA), which manages the program, is collaborating with the Immigration Division. This joint effort involves reviewing outbound departures from Majuro and Kwajalein to identify citizens who have not returned within a three-month period, who will then be removed from the registration list. Exemptions to this residency requirement include RMI diplomatic staff, patients on medical referral, and students on scholarship.

Program Overview and Financial Implications

The Enra program, whose name means 'bread basket' in Marshallese, signifies sharing and community support. It is designed to act as a financial safety net, alleviate the high cost of imported goods, and help mitigate outward migration from the island nation. The program is funded by a trust fund established under the Compact of Free Association with the United States. The annual appropriation for Enra is a fixed amount of approximately US$27 million. The increase in registered beneficiaries means this fixed sum will be distributed among a larger pool of eligible citizens, which will inevitably lead to a slight reduction in the per capita payment amount.

Payments for the Enra UBI can be received through traditional banking channels, mailed checks, or via the new government-backed digital wallet, Lomalo. This digital wallet utilizes USDM1, a tokenized, US dollar-denominated stablecoin built on the Stellar network, offering a modern approach to financial distribution in the geographically dispersed nation.