The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has begun a nationwide monitoring of the 91st and 92nd cycles of cash grants to households of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme on Monday in Ayensuano District in the Eastern Region.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Darkoa Newman, said 325,470 households, which is about 1,461,181 individual counts, would be paid an amount of GHS 204,970,848.00.
The Minister indicated that the 91st cycle payment would start in May and June 2024 while the 92nd cycle would begin in July and August 2024.
Breaking down the payment for beneficiaries, Madam Newman said the combined payment of the 91st and 92nd would be paid as follows: one eligible member household is entitled to GH₵ 512.00, two eligible member households are entitled to GH₵ 608.00, three eligible member households are entitled to GH₵ 704.00, and four or more eligible member households are entitled to GHS 848.00.
She stated that the Eastern Region has about 23,289.00 beneficiary families who would receive a total of GHS 14,987,952.00.
She added that all the beneficiaries of the LEAP programme would be paid electronically on the e-zwich platform provided by Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) through Participating Financial Institutions (PFI’s).
“The PFIs are commercial and rural banks. The e-zwich payment platform requires biometric fingerprint verification of beneficiaries before they can cash out their money. Thus, the LEAP programme operates on the principle that without biometric verification there will be no grant cash-out or payment to beneficiary households,” she noted.
Grace Acheampong, ISD