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A total of 213,044 beneficiary households in all 216 districts across the country will be paid their Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) grant, by August 4, 2017, Gender Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba has revealed.

The payment, which covers the months of May and June 2017, would be deposited electronically using the e-zwich platform provided by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) through Participation Financial Institutions (PFIs).

Explaining to the media at the 49th payment cycle of the fund, Djaba disclosed that, one eligible-member household will receive GHS 64.00, two-member household, GHS76.00, three-member household, GHS 88.00 and four or more eligible household will receive GHS 106.00.

“The disbursements which starts from July 31 till the August 4 deadline, will continue to impact the lives of the ordinary people and also create better opportunities for the underprivileged Ghanaian” she said.

Djaba indicated that plans were advanced to reach more households. The initiative, she indicated, has steadily progressed from the coverage of 1,654 homes in 21 districts, in 2008 to almost one million people in 216 districts, currently.

Earlier this year, the LEAP Management Secretariat through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, announced that it had partnered the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), to carry out nationwide free registration exercise for all LEAP household members.

Highlighting on that initiative, Djaba disclosed that over 90,000 beneficiaries were registered on that project as a deliberate attempt to ensure that members of LEAP households receive better healthcare.

“Productive inclusion has been designed to assist LEAP beneficiaries who have the desire to work. The training of the 400 kayaye, the exhibition of products by vulnerable people at the just ended diaspora summit and an ongoing project by Japan Development Fund, are fair trade opportunities for our very own vulnerable and disadvantaged persons” she indicated.

LEAP is a cash transfer programme by the government for the poorest households to assist them with basic needs, including food.

On the selection process of beneficiaries, government officials with support of community focal persons, visit selected communities across the country, to collect data to assess the poverty status of families and prepare a list of selected beneficiaries.