From a total household of 71,936 in January 2013, the current number of Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) beneficiaries nationwide has increased to 146,074 beneficiary households as at January 2016.

This number of 146,074 is to be paid nationwide from 25th to 29th January 2016 in an effort to help minimise the financial challenges of the extremely poor in the country.

This was said by Mr Dzigbordi Agbekpornu, LEAP Programme Manager, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection during a press briefing on the 40th cycle LEAP payment scheduled to take place from Monday 25th to Friday 29th January 2016 nationwide.

He said that by the current 146, 074 beneficiaries, the Ministry was on track towards achieving the 250,000 beneficiary households by December 2016 as announced by the Finance Minister in the 2016 budget to parliament last year.

Mr Agbekpornu said the targeting procedures for the 250,000 beneficiary households had commenced in another 50 districts and this covers the remaining 28 districts that do not have LEAP as of now.

He said beneficiaries of the LEAP 1000 project, which targets extremely poor pregnant women and children less than one year, would also receive their cash transfer from Monday, January 25 in the three districts of the Upper East and seven other districts in the Northern Region.

He intimated that a total of 6,124 beneficiaries from the ten districts in the two regions would benefit from the programme.

He noted that since the last quarter of 2013, the LEAP payments had been regular and consistent with absolutely no arrears owed to beneficiaries.

Mr Agbekpornu said the programme was having a positive impact on poverty reduction in the country as indicated in an impact assessment research conducted by the Institute for Social, Statistical and Economic Research (ISSER) and the North Carolina University in 2012.

“Another impact assessment is underway and we shall share the outcome with you when it is completed this year,” he added.

He said the Ministry had contracted the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GhIPSS) to roll out Electronic-Payment mechanism to all LEAP beneficiaries in the country.

The Programme Manager indicated that the E-Payment by GhIPSS would be done in 15 districts during the 40th payment cycle and was expected to cover all LEAP payment districts by March 2016, when the 41cycle payment would be conducted.

He noted that the E-Payment mechanism used two factor authentications to certify beneficiaries before cash grants were delivered to them.

“The first authentication is by the use of facial photograph (photo ID cards) and the second authentication is by the means of biometric finger prints,” he added.

Mr Agbekpornu said the E-payment mechanism was aimed at improving the LEAP cash delivery to beneficiaries and making the system more robust and efficient.

“The system will also provide financial inclusion for beneficiaries by creating opportunities for them to handle cash through the banking system and also have greater control over the management of their funds as they would have the opportunity to decide when to access funds, unlike the manual system”, he added.