The Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) is projected to cover over 200,000 households by December this year.
Currently, the scheme covers 116,000 households across the country.
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur disclosed this yesterday at the final validation workshop of the National Social Protection Policy in Accra.
The workshop was to review the draft policy to ensure that the proposed objectives and strategies were addressed.
It also aims at creating a forum for a wider stakeholder review of the draft policy in order to solicit new ideas, suggestions and recommendations for the completion of the policy.
The programme brought together stakeholders from the Civil Society Organisation, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), European Union, World Bank, and International Labour Organisation.
Mrs. Lithur stated that from January 2013 to September 2015, beneficiary households numbers have increased by 62 per cent from 71,936.
“The number of district and communities has also increased by 90 and 1,740 respectively since January 2013,” she added.
Mrs. Lithur said the draft policy would ensure that the propose objectives and strategies addressed issues concerning the vulnerable in the society.
“The policy is to have a well-coordinated, inter-sectoral social protection system to ensure effective implementation and coordination to enable people live in dignity through income support, livelihoods empowerment and improved systems of basic sevices”he added.
She said Ghana in an effective and efficient manner to reduce extreme poverty by 50 per cent by 2025.
“The policy also aims at increasing access to formal social security to 50 per cent by 2025.”she said .
Professor Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey of the Centre for Social Policy Studies at the University of Ghana called on stakeholders to target all people in social protection policy.
She commended the Ministry for the initiative and called for more measures to sustain the programme.
The Chief of Social Policy of UNICEF Ghana, Sarah Hague, in her remarks, said the policy would help Ghana to fulfill its constitutional duty to create a more equitable and poverty –free nation.
She said every citizen would have equal opportunity to grow, develop and contribute to a healthier household.
The Acting Director of Social Protection, Richard Adjetey stressed the need for the policy to ensure that the rights of the vulnerable were protected in the country.
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