The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme has started the March and April payment for beneficiaries, which is the 42nd payment cycle across the country.

According to the revised payment system one eligible member of a household would receive GH¢ 64.00; two eligible household beneficiaries- GH¢ 76.00; three eligible- GH¢ 88.00, and four or more- GH¢ 106.00.

Mr Dzigbodi Kofi Agbekpornu, LEAP National Programme Manager, led a team of officials from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Department of Social Development, the World Bank, Ghana Social Opportunity Project (GSOP) to monitor the payments in some part of the Greater Accra and Volta Regions.

He explained that as part of the LEAP Implementation support, through the World Bank and other development partners, the Ministry has been able to procure an E-payment service provider precisely Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System to roll out electronic payment across all the LEAP districts in Ghana.

The Ministry has disbursed the funds to the beneficiaries through e-zwich biometric smart card, through transparency and convenience in the disbursement of the money.

LEAP aims at providing a safety net for the poorest and most marginalised groups in the society.

The team observed the payment of a total of 364 household beneficiaries in parts of Volta and the Greater Accra Regions – 114 household beneficiaries from Agave Dorkploame community in the South-Tongu District and 250 household beneficiaries from Ayaman community and other communities within the Ada-West District received the stipend.

Mr Suleiman Namara, Senior Social Protection Economist, World Bank Group, Washington DC said as development partners there is the need for field implementation visit to access progress of the implementation programme and its challenges to improve efficiency.

He said 161 districts have been rolled onto the electronic payment system and 20 more districts are yet to be enrolled.

Mr Namara said LEAP has improved consumption, access to health services and education.

Mr Savato Nyanorvin, a beneficiary in an interview with Ghana News Agency said the payment of the money has improved his living condition, “now am able to cater for my personal needs and cater for the family”.

The LEAP programme has in-built complementary interventions, one of which was the linkage with the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) project being implemented under GSOP.

The GSOP provides livelihood support through skills training in soap making, Kente and basket weaving, among others, for LEAP beneficiary household members who had the capacity to work.

The JSDF complementary service linkage with the LEAP programme is being implemented in some districts of the Upper East Region.

LEAP beneficiary households are also linked to the Labour Intensive Public Work project under the GSOP.

Under the initiative, able-bodied members in LEAP households are targeted for labour-intensive work in construction activities (feeder road construction, construction of small dam facilities and climate change interventions) in their communities where they earn additional income to boost their household income.