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Don’t delay payment of LEAP grants to beneficiaries – SEND Ghana
The Deputy Director of SEND Ghana, Dr. Emmanuel Ayifah, has appealed to the government not to delay the payment of cash grants to beneficiaries under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
He said the “consistent delay” in payment of the grant was worsening the plight of the beneficiaries hence government must take urgent steps to settle all arrears for 2021.
Dr. Ayifah, speaking in an interview with The Spectator, said there were delays in payment of the grant in January 2021 and that payments starting from April to August 2021 were still in arrears.
He said that, as a result of the delay in payment, some beneficiaries had resorted to borrowing, which was not “appropriate considering the financial standing of these vulnerable persons.”
“In 2019, SEND Ghana made a similar appeal to the government to pay the beneficiaries on time and our call was heard but, unfortunately, this same trend is occurring this year.
“The GH¢ 64 paid per household is already insufficient and the delay is worsening their plight. Some of them continue to live on the benevolence of others and this is a problem,” he noted.
For effective social protection delivery, Dr. Ayifah said government should, in the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, consider establishing a fund to support and sustain social protection programmes.
“Apart from LEAP, it is important to provide funding for other social protection programmes in general. When the fund is established, other persons in the private sector may contribute to it just as they did for the COVID-19 fund,” he added.
Dr. Ayifah again identified lack of comprehensive data as one of the reasons social interventions did not reach “the right beneficiaries.”
He said available data indicated that there were 2.7 million extremely poor persons in the country but beneficiaries of social intervention policies such as LEAP were fewer than this figure.
He, therefore, urged the government to “focus on completing the Ghana National Household Registry” so there would be a comprehensive data on the number of poor persons in the country.
“Only five out of the 16 regions have complete data in the Registry. This means we are left with a lot more to be done,” he said.
SEND Ghana wants the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to fast-track passage of the social protection bill so that issues regarding social interventions and social protection could be effectively managed.
By Ernest Nutsugah
News
National Service Authority to Introduce Military Training
Management of the National Service Authority, yesterday, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, held talks with the Military High Command towards the implementation of the National Service Emergency Response Readiness Programme (NSERRP).
When implemented, this will reflect His Excellency the President’s commitment towards the implementation of a short military training for National Service Personnel (NSPs) as planned efforts to instill discipline, nationalism and physical fitness among Ghanaian graduates.
The President shared this position during his maiden State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday February 27, 2025.
At yesterday ’s meeting, the Director-General, Mr. Felix Gyamfi reiterated the need for all personnel to undergo basic military drills and orientation as part of orienting the youth to embrace national development.
“The introduction of this military training is a step in the right direction and must be embraced by all and sundry as one of the indicators for resetting the country, particularly the youth,” he commented.
On his part, Brigadier General Amoah-Boakye assured the Authority of their willingness to provide the requisite training for personnel when the Programme officially commences.
In all, personnel will receive up to two months of composite basic military drills starting 3rd August, 2025.
News
Ghana Tourism Authority acts on concerns of minors allegedly taken to Hotel in Accra New Town.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has taken swift action following reports circulating on social media regarding an incident involving minors allegedly taken to a hotel in Accra New Town.
The case has been formally reported to the Nima Division of the Ghana Police Service for investigation.
In line with their mandate to ensure safety and compliance in the tourism and hospitality sector, our CEO Mrs.Maame Efua Houadjeto delegated a team from the GTA Head Office, Mr. Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, Deputy CEO, Special Duties and Mr Ekow Sampson, Deputy CEO, Operations who joined the Greater Accra Regional Director, Ms. Roberta Dawson-Amoah, and the Deputy Director of Marketing, Ms. Clara Nketiah, to visit the said facility.
The objective was to verify the facts on the ground and take necessary regulatory action.
They commended the Ghana Police Service for their co-operation and continued support in the ongoing investigation.
Additionally, the team inspected Royal Dede Beach Resort, which has been converted into a hostel under new management without official notification to the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The team discovered that the hostel’s operations were not in compliance with the L. I 2239. Meanwhile the operator has been directed to the Standards and Quality Assurance Department of the Authority for the necessary regulation.
“We remind all accommodation operators that the Tourism(Registration and Licensing of Accommodation) Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2239) mandates every facility to register and obtain a license from the GTA before commencing operations.
This regulation ensures quality, safety, and compliance across the industry,” they noted.
The GTA they said, remains committed to safeguarding the public and upholding the highest standards in the hospitality sector and urged
the public to report suspicious or non-compliant facilities to the nearest GTA office.
