Wa, March, 1, GNA - The government has made available 305,540.00 Gh= ana cedis for payment to 10,178 households in the Upper West Region under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. About 1,205 household in the Sissala West District would receive 36,150.00 Ghana cedis, Wa East District 1,300 household would also receive 39,000.00 Ghana cedis while in the Lawra District 925 household would get 27,750 Ghana cedis.

An amount of 39,510 Ghana cedis would be paid to 1,317 households in the Wa Municipal, 35,850.00 Ghana cedis would benefit 1,195 households in Nadowli District and Jirapa District would share 36,570.00 Ghana cedis for 1,219 households. In the Lambussie/Karni District 733 households would be paid 21,990.0= 0 Ghana cedis, 34,200.00 Ghana cedis would be given to 1,140 household in the Sissala East District while in the Wa West District 34,320.00 Ghana cedis would be shared among 1,144 households. Mr. Lawrence A. Azam, Coordinator of the Emergency Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme, made this known during a courtesy call on the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Issahaque Salia, at his office on Monday.

He said individual beneficiaries would receive 30.00 Ghana cedis each as payment for November and December last year to help cushion their economic and social burdens.

Mr. Azam said three teams from the Department of Social Welfare were in the region to visit the communities to effect payment to the beneficiaries and assured Alhaji Salia of transparency and clarity of programme procedures in the payment of the monies.

He said LEAP has so far assisted about 30,000 extremely poor households in more than 80 districts throughout the country. Mr. Azam said LEAP would be supporting about 31,222 households in 31 districts who remained vulnerable as a result of the floods in the northern sector. Alhaji Salia said the people in the region were pleased with the government's efforts in reducing poverty. He appealed to donors and international community as well as public spirited individuals to complement government's efforts to help improve t= he living conditions of the people.