LEAP: Over GH¢480K disbursed to deceased and ineligible beneficiaries – Auditor General’s report

The Auditor General’s report has uncovered significant mismanagement within the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, revealing that cash grants totaling GH¢84,480 were disbursed to 44 deceased beneficiaries.

Additionally, GH¢396,620 was allocated to recipients who were no longer eligible for the programme.

LEAP, a government initiative designed to support impoverished and vulnerable households with cash grants, was found to have several administrative lapses. The report, submitted by Auditor General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu to the Speaker of Parliament on August 8, 2023, highlighted these issues.

“We found that LMS paid cash grants to caregivers of deceased beneficiaries in one-member households, resulting in payments to 44 deceased beneficiaries amounting to GH¢84,480,” the report stated.

Further, the audit revealed that the LEAP Management Secretariat (LMS) failed to conduct the necessary reassessments of beneficiaries. This oversight led to continued payments amounting to GH¢396,620 to individuals whose socioeconomic status had improved, rendering them ineligible for the programme.

The audit, conducted from February to October 2022, covered activities from 2017 to 2022 across the LMS and five districts in three regions. It also noted that LMS exceeded the permissible spending on programme operations by GH¢15,369,309.97, jeopardizing the programme’s sustainability. Additionally, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MOGCSP) was criticized for inadequate record-keeping of expended funds.

To address these issues, the Auditor General recommended that MOGCSP improve its record-keeping practices to enhance accountability and ensure the sustainability of the LEAP programme.