Local Govt Ministry Launches New Project in UER

By Samuel Akapule

Bolgatanga — The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), has launched new project in the Upper East Region dubbed," The Ghana Productive Safety Net Project (GPSNP)".

It is aimed at contributing to jobs creation, poverty reduction, climate change resilience and the enhancement of socio-economic lives of the less privileged.

The project, which is being implemented in 80 selected districts nationwide, would benefit 350,000 households.

The Deputy Minister of MLGRD, Mr Collins Ntim, who disclosed these during the launching and the sensitisation of the project last Friday , pointed out that the implementation of the GPSNP was in consistence with government's commitment to strengthening social protection systems as well as unearthing the productive potentials of the poor.

He said the beneficiaries would receive cash transfer under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

While 25,000 individuals are expected to benefit through productive inclusion programme, 3,000 households would also benefit from the Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW) where they would do public works such as roads, dam maintenances and climate activities for cash transfer payments.

According to him, In the Upper East Region, 11 out of the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) namely, Bongo, Nabdam, Talensi, Bawku Municipal, Pusiga, Garu, Tempane, Binduri, Builsa Noth and Builsa South, have been selected to benefit from the project.

The Deputy Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso North, explained that the GPSNP was a successor of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP), and added that, the MLGRD in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with support from the World Bank initiated the project in 2018.

Mr Ntim explained that, the beneficiary districts were selected based on the 6th Ghana Living Standard Survey 2014, which ranked all districts based on poverty indices.

"The beneficiaries will be selected from the poorest communities and households in the participating districts. The overall project implementation will contribute towards the goal of Ghana 's Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017--2024)," he said.

He indicated that the project would boost the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs for Export and Rural Development under the supervision of the District Centre of Agriculture Commerce Technology.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs Paulina Patience Abayage, who expressed happiness about the project, tasked all the political heads of the beneficiary districts to quickly tender in the work plans and budget on time as requited to commence the implementation of the project.

Among the key stakeholders who attended the programme included Development Planner and Budget officers and District Directors of the Department of Agriculture of the beneficiary districts.

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