In line with the government’s efforts to address key issues facing the economy, it has designed measures to protect the vulnerable through enhancement of existing social protection programs such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP).
The finance minister, in presenting the mid-year budget review in Parliament on Monday, July 31, 2023, indicated that the 2023 Budget, for example, doubled the benefits under the LEAP Program as well as boosted the allocations to the School Feeding Program.
Mr. Ofori-Atta noted that social spending on health, social protection, and education will be closely monitored to ensure timely disbursement of funds to beneficiaries.
“Mr. Speaker, the IMF-supported PC-PEG has also prioritized social protection reforms to ensure that the vulnerable are protected from the impact of the ongoing fiscal adjustment. In addition, an indexation mechanism for benefits under the LEAP programme will be put in place by end-September 2023.
Furthermore, the coverage of LEAP will be expanded, and its targeting improved to cover the extreme poor by 2024”, he said.
LEAP, since its establishment by the government of Ghana in 2008, has made significant strides in reducing poverty by increasing and smoothing consumption and promoting access to services and opportunities among the extremely poor and vulnerable.
The Specific Objectives are a Number of beneficiary households increased from 1,645 in 2008 to 146,074 (185 districts) as at 31st December 2015.
Since October 2013, all beneficiaries have been regularly paid their grants and government wishes to expand the program to cover more vulnerable individuals in the country.
