PWDs Common Fund cash not meant for persons above 60 years – Administrator

The Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, Hon. Irene Naa Torshie, has sent a signal to all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), to ensure that the 2% allocation of Common Fund releases to assist Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) within their catchment areas are not extended to cover persons above sixty (60) years.

The releases, she emphasized are meant for persons with disabilities between the ages of eighteen (18) to sixty years (60).

Interacting with some journalists moments after Parliament’s approval of the proposed formula for the sharing of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund for the year 2018, Thursday, the Administrator emphasized that those above sixty (60) years fall within the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) catchment group and therefore do not qualify to be a beneficiary of the releases for the PWDs.

“Persons who are older over 60 years are not part of persons with disabilities. They must fall into LEAP because if you find somebody who is 80 years and is blind it is normal. But if you look at the reason why this policy was done, it was for the youth group – the group that can work. That is the group that President Kufuor targeted when this policy came up. It is not for babies. I would want us to extend it to babies some other time may be how to help mothers but for now it is for people who can take care of themselves. I want to believe that between 18 to 60 years – that is the catchment group. So, I think that if we are not careful, people will receive money as LEAP and come and take money as person with disability because you realize that the LEAP is for older people”, she cautioned.