NDC will initiate Big Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty — Mahama

The next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will initiate the Big Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (Big LEAP) to pursue an economic inclusion programme for LEAP beneficiaries and the urban poor with complementary funding support from state and non-state sources.

“We will introduce Livelihood Enhancement programmes for households with productive capacity and improve access to essential services for LEAP households by implementing multiple complementary initiatives.

“We will develop specialised projects for indigent persons within coastal and urban poor communities and establish an Emergency Response LEAP Grant Programme to collaborate with relevant disaster management organizations to deploy emergency LEAP to provide respite to disaster victims.

“We will provide educational scholarships for children of LEAP households,” the NDC Presidential Candidate, who occupies the 8th position on the presidential ballot paper, stated in the party’s Election 2024 manifesto, captioned “Resetting Ghana: Jobs, Accountability, and Prosperity,” stated on the subtheme “investing in people for inclusive growth.”

Former President Mahama said based on his past experience as an Assemblyman, Member of Parliament, Minister of State, Vice President, and later as President of Ghana, has shaped his understanding of the problems facing Ghanaians.

On the Capitation Grant and School Feeding Programmes, Mr. Mahama said the next government of the NDC will extend the Capitation Grant to private schools located in deprived and underserved communities to support the goal of 100 percent enrolment at the basic level of education.

“We will resolve outstanding payments of capitation grants to public basic schools and ensure consistent and timely disbursements moving forward, and assign nutritionists to district education offices to provide expert nutrition advice to inform menus to address long-standing anaemia among children.

“We will introduce menu frameworks in collaboration with relevant research institutions to ensure the provision of community and geographic zone-based balanced diets.

“We will enhance efficiency and equity in school feeding programmes through nutrition frameworks, targeted expansion, and decentralized management,” the NDC Presidential Candidate stated.

The NDC 2024 Presidential Candidate noted that his next government will decentralise the management of the Ghana School Feeding Programmes (GSFP) to the district level to ensure timely payments to caterers, and utilise geographical targeting data to broaden the reach of the GSFP to deprived communities.

On Protective Framework for Children, Mr. Mahama said his government will establish an Orphan and Vulnerable Child Support Scheme as a special vehicle to create a safe environment for street, trafficked, and other internally displaced children.

He said the next NDC government will develop a Protective Framework for Children to ensure safety, support family reintegration, prevent trafficking, address the issue of missing children, and enforce parental financial responsibility.

“We will support family reintegration and school re-entry for street, trafficked and other internally displaced children; and sustain public education on child trafficking to create awareness and prevent child trafficking.

“We will establish a Child Support System/Directorate to ensure the provision of financial support from both parents for child maintenance and establish a Child Maintenance Service Bureau to ensure that parents who live apart from their children contribute to the care of the child,” he said.

Mr. Mahama revealed that the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) will be reviewed to mandate four months of paid maternity leave for mothers, in addition to other existing legal maternity provisions.

“My next government will amend the law to provide maternity leave and mental health support for mothers coping with stillbirths or infant loss post-childbirth.

“We will develop a regulatory policy and legal framework for assisted reproductive technology to ensure the protection and well-being of all parties involved, including patients, donors, and medical professionals, while maintaining ethical standards and safeguarding the rights and interests of each Party.

“We will introduce paternity leave to promote parental engagement and work-life balance.”

He said his government will pass the Social Protection and Aged Persons Bill to cater for vulnerable and marginalized groups and strengthen institutions coordinating social protection at all levels to ensure efficiency and sustained financing.

“We will complete the Ghana Household Registry to enhance the targeting of vulnerable groups in social protection, build the capacity of social workers, and offer enhanced employment opportunities for graduates from the School of Social Work.

“We will provide educational scholarship and develop a special skills training and social assistance Programme for Kayayei and offer comprehensive support services, including school enrolment opportunities, skills training, and micro-entrepreneurship support for children and out-of-school adolescents, to address streetism and rural-urban migration, among others.

“We will review the National Health Insurance Act, 2012 (Act 852) to extend free NHIS coverage to all extremely poor households,” the NDC Presidential Candidate stated.

Mr. Mahama therefore called on the electorates to vote massively for him as President and all NDC Parliamentary Candidates across the country to form the next government.