The government has released GH¢109,031,160 for the payment of cash grant to about 350,000 households for the 83rd and 84th cycles under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has started the nationwide disbursement of the cash grant which covers households of more than 1.5 million individuals beneficiaries.
The grant has been increased by 100 per cent in view of the worsening global socio-economic crisis, a statement signed and issued by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu has said.
The statement explained “given the 100 per cent increase in the bi-monthly cash grant, one eligible member household will now receive GH¢128.00 instead of GH¢64.00.
“Two eligible member households will now receive GH¢152.00 instead of GH¢76.00. Then three eligible member households will now receive GH¢176.00 instead of GH¢88.00.
“A household with four and more eligible members will now receive GH¢212.00 instead of GH¢106.00,” the statement said.
It explained that the disbursement was under the social protection programme that provides bi-monthly cash grants to the poorest households in the country.
The programme aims to reduce poverty by smoothening consumption and promoting the human capital development of beneficiary households.
The statement noted that the socio-economic shock of the global economic crisis was worsening the lives and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable.
“As a responsible government, we are taking the necessary steps to resolve the current challenges and as well reduce the effects of the shocks on the poor and vulnerable,” the statement said.
The amount paid to a household is determined by the number of eligible persons in a household.
The category of persons who determine the eligibility of a household are orphans and vulnerable children (OVC); elderly, 65 years and above without support, persons with severe disabilities who cannot work and extremely poor pregnant women and mothers with infants under one year.
The ministry urged the stakeholders in the LEAP payment chain, the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in the entire Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, the LEAP Community Focal Persons, the Payment Service Provider, the Ghana Inter-bank Payment and Settlement Systems and the Participating Financial Institutions to ensure that the payment was successful.
BY TIMES REPORTER