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14.05.2012 Business & Finance

SIF supports the vulnerable in Birim Central Municipality

14.05.2012 LISTEN
By GNA

Akyem Oda, May 14, GNA - The Government in line with its Poverty Reduction Strategy is implementing a five-year Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) with the goal of contributing to Ghana's efforts to achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

The MDG aims at reducing by half, the proportion of the poor living on less than a dollar a day.

The UPRP is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government.

Operating under four main components namely; Capacity Building for Pro-poor Urban Development, Social Capital and Investment Support, Small-Scale Enterprise Development and Management and Coordination, the project through its Social Inclusion Transfer (SIT) at Local Level, had disbursed over GHC 160, 000.00 to 324 beneficiaries in 134 households in the Birim Central Municipal Assembly as direct transfers.

Speaking at the third tranche disbursement forum at Akyem Aboabo on Monday, Ms Ophelia Koomson, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), advised the beneficiaries to use their monies for the intended purposes, that is, sending their children to school and taking care of their educational needs.

She admonished lactating mothers, pregnant women and Tuberculosis (TB) patients to patronize the health facilities since the money given them was meant to improve their health.

She disclosed that regular monitoring would be conducted to see how beneficiaries were utilizing the monies given them.

Ms Koomson announced that under the SIT, 65 females in the Municipality were undergoing vocation skills training at Victory Vocational Institute in Koforidua, whilst 19 males had also been supported to undergo vocational skills training like masonry, carpentry and auto mechanics among others, in the municipality.

Mr Kwame Obeng Nti, the Zonal Officer in charge of the Birim Central and Ho Municipalities, explained that the Social Inclusion Transfer Sub-Component of the Urban Poverty Reduction Strategy and budgeting process was aimed at integrating the critically poor and non-viable households into the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy and budgeting process.

He indicated that under the scheme, people below the extreme poverty line receive Social Inclusion Transfer (SIT) through a scheme that promotes the principles of social protection provision to the poorest as a “right”.

Mr Obeng Nti explained that under the SIT scheme, extreme poor households are put on a quarterly stipend, ranging from GHC 60.00 to GHC 120.00 and depending on the number of beneficiaries in a household.

Madam Christiana Boadi, one of the beneficiaries from Akyem Manso, on behalf of her colleagues, thanked the SIF and the assembly for the support and assured the MCE and the Zonal Officer that they would heed to the advice and put the monies into good use.

GNA

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