Gender Ministry introduces electronic reporting system for paying LEAP beneficiaries
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) has developed a digitised electronic monitoring and reporting systems for payment of beneficiaries under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to ensure its effective implementation.
The system is being deployed in all the 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country, to ensure timely submission of LEAP reports by District Welfare Officers.
It would also enable the LEAP Management Secretariat to conduct real time monitoring to track programme implementation at the community level.
Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the Sector Minister, announced this in Accra when she took her turn at the “Meet-the-Press” Series on Wednesday, to update the public on the Ministry’s achievements, challenges and solicit feedback from the public to better the implementation of government policies and programmes.
Meanwhile, the Sector Minister said an electronic reporting module had been developed and being piloted in three districts.
Additionally, electronic protocols for reconciliation of LEAP payment data and the management of funds by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GhiPSS) have been introduced to enhance the generation of LEAP beneficiary payroll, while guidelines for LEAP Operation Funds Computation have also been reviewed and being operationalised.
So far, she said, the Ministry had made three cycle cash payments to 1,428,460 extremely poor households and currently processing payment for the rest of the LEAP beneficiaries.
Under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Sector Minister said the programme currently provides one hot nutritious meal to 2,663,134 pupils in 8,683 basic schools across the country.
In fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal Two (SDG2), which aims at ending hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, Mrs Morrison said the GSFP organised a series of training sessions for more than 5,711 caterers in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West regions.
They were trained on standard measurements and practical innovative nutritional requirements for the preparation of meals for the school children to improve the nutritional value of meals served to pupils.
The Sector Minister announced that all the outstanding caterers’ arrears for first and second terms of 2018/2019 academic year had been paid, while 25,053 people had been employed under the GSFP.
Mrs Morrison reiterated government’s commitment of creating a harmonious society in which the survival and development of gender, children, the vulnerable and persons with disability would be treated fairly and equally.
“We will continue to promote the welfare and protection of children and empower the vulnerable, the excluded, the aged and persons with disabilities through social protection interventions for them to contribute towards national development,” the Minister emphasised.
Source: GNA