The bi-monthly cash grant given to beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme has been increased by 100 per cent.
This means that one eligible member household would now receive GH¢128.00 instead of GH¢64.00 while two eligible member households would be paid GH¢150.00 instead of GH¢76.00.
Also, three eligible household members would now receive GH¢176.00 instead of the GH¢88.00, adding that a household with four or more eligible household members would receive GH¢212.00 instead of GH¢106.00.
Head of LEAP Management Secretariat, Dr Myles Ongoh said the increases in the grant by the government were necessitated by socio-economic challenges that had resulted in price hikes of goods and services.
Speaking at a sensitisation exercise on LEAP at Waychaw in the Wa West District, Mr Ongoh indicated that the increased payment would start from the 83rd and 84th cycles to ease the burden imposed on beneficiaries.
Dr Ongoh encouraged the beneficiaries to put the monies given them into profitable ventures to enhance their living conditions and welfare.
“I urge all beneficiaries to continually invest their cash grant into profitable businesses such as trading, farming, and use it for medical treatment, school fees, feeding, among others,” he stated.
He said the government was committed to the LEAP programme since it was a key strategy to help consolidate effort to eradicate extreme poverty in the country, adding that the “government is committed to your needs and will be responsive to the poor and vulnerable citizens in the country.”
Dr Ongoh said the LMS was undertaking a pilot reassessment exercise of the programme in 10 districts, two each from the five regions in northern Ghana.
The reassessment, he explained, was aimed at creating an equal opportunity for all extremely poor populations, and to ensure that the cash grants go to the most vulnerable households by updating the database in response to the changes in poverty levels, household composition, and programme design.
He said the reassessment involves the recertification of all households including LEAP beneficiaries into four categories.
The categories, he noted, would lead to admission of new households who live below the extreme poverty household onto the programme as well as exit of households that live above the poverty threshold.