The World Bank has released GHS 42 million through the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project 2 to support the government of Ghana pay two cycles of arrears of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) for 344,000 beneficiary households.
The LEAP program is one of the government’s flagship social protection programs, initiated in 2008 to alleviate the plights of targeted extreme poor households, specifically orphans and vulnerable children, the elderly, the severely disabled, and pregnant women or mothers with children under one year.
According to a statement from the World Bank, the ongoing global economic challenges, which have increased the economic strain domestically, has led to progressive delays in LEAP payments by the government.
It is for this reason that the Bank is helping to cushion the government in the interim. Payment of the money will be completed in April 2022.
About LEAP
The LEAP program also aims to increase access to basic social services like healthcare through the enrolment on the National Health Insurance Scheme, as well as boost human capital by encouraging beneficiary households to enroll their school-going aged children in school.
Per the GPSNP 2 program design, beneficiary households receive cash grants through electronic payments every two months. The cash benefit sizes differ, depending on how many persons in the household are considered eligible to receive the grant.
The benefit ranges from GHS32 to GHS53 per eligible beneficiary, per month. Over the years, the government of Ghana has progressively increased the program’s beneficiary reach from 1,645 beneficiary households in a few districts at initiation in 2008, to a current reach of 344,023 beneficiary households in all districts across the country.
Additionally, Government has demonstrated its commitment to the program’s implementation by progressively increasing its contribution to the program. It is currently funding approximately 80 percent of the total funding of the program, with development partners’ support comprising the remaining 20 percent.
Particularly within global economic downturns, such as the current one on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be important for the Government to identify ring-fenced funding to ensure regular payments of social welfare programs, according to the World Bank.
