Payment to unqualified persons, including the deceased and overspending under the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) Programme cost the country about GH¢15.8 million between 2017 and 2022.
This was contained in an Audit Report on the management of LEAP released by the Auditor-General’s Department and copied to Parliament.
Out of the figure, GH¢396,620.00 was paid to 170 beneficiaries under the scheme whose socio-economic status had improved, and no longer qualified for the grant.
The report said an amount of GH¢84, 480 was paid to representatives of some 44 deceased beneficiaries.
According to the report, the LEAP Management Secretariat (LMS) did not adhere to fund utilisation guidelines resulting in excess spending of GH¢15,369,309.97 risking the sustainability of the programme.
The audit report recommended the urgent need for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGSCP) to improve its records-keeping regime to enhance accountability.
It advised that moving forward, “all accountants on the LEAP programme maintain records and report on quarterly basis to the Chief Director on all financial information related to cash grants and administrative cost relevant to the programme.”
Furthermore, it asked the LEAP secretariat to consider and review its decision to solely rely on data from the Ghana National Housing Register (GNHR) to identify beneficiaries but conduct a reassessment to graduate and exit ineligible beneficiaries.
“The LMS should adhere to the LEAP Fund utilisation guidelines during programme implementation to promote sustainability,” the Auditor-General urged.
LEAP is a social protection initiative implemented by the government to provide cash grants to extremely poor and vulnerable households to alleviate economic and social distress.
Piloted in 2008 and in its 15th year, the programme targets vulnerable groups such as orphaned and vulnerable children, breastfeeding mothers, old people and people with severe disabilities by providing bi-monthly cash payments to eligible households in various districts across the country.
As at the end of December 2020, a total of 335,015 extremely poor households across 259 districts have been enrolled onto the programme.
BY TIMES REPORTER
- Ms Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection
