The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection would in 2016, expand the implementation of the LEAP to cover over 250,000 beneficiary households as well as strengthen the institutional arrangements for social protection.
It will also operationalize the National Target Unit to undertake data collection exercise in Upper East and Northern regions and develop a Ghana National Household Registry at the regions.
The Ministry has already provided bi-monthly cash grants to a total of 116,000 households in 180 Districts in 10 Regions under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.
To ensure timely and efficient transfer of cash to beneficiaries, 9,658 households in nine districts in seven regions received electronic payments of the LEAP Grants in three piloted ecological zones.
Mr Seth Terkper, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning who disclosed this at the presentation of the 2016 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in Parliament on Friday, said under the LEAP 1000 project, enrolment of additional 6,006 beneficiary households was completed in seven and three districts in the Northern and Upper East regions, respectively.
“About 382 children in Children’s Homes, 12 Elderly persons in Elderly Homes, 405 lepers in Leprosaria and 751 persons in Witches Camps also received LEAP grants,” he added.
He said following the June 3rd flood and fire disaster, the Ministry set up an emergency LEAP intervention programme for the victims and an amount of GH¢3.9 million was disbursed to support 10,274 households affected by the disaster.
The Ministry in partnership with Direct Aid Africa also donated relief items to 1,000 victims of floods in Keta, Osu and Kumasi.
He said the Ministry facilitated effective targeting for all social intervention programmes in Ghana, and established the National Targeting Unit to develop the Ghana National Household Registry (GNHR) database and Management Information System (MIS). Consultations are on-going in the Upper West region to develop the regional register.
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