UPRP introduced in Birim Central Municipality

The Government has begun a five-year Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP) to help achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) that calls for a reduction by half the proportion of the poor living on less than a dollar a day.

The project which is in line with government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, is 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 UPRP which is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government through its Social Inclusion Transfer (SIT) at Local Level, has disbursed over GH¢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, the Municipal Chief Executive of the area advised the beneficiaries to use their monies for the intended purposes, stressing that it was important for them to send their children to school and ensure that their educational needs are met.

Ms Koomson appealed to lactating mothers, pregnant women and Tuberculosis patients to patronize the health facilities for health care services since the monies given to them was meant to improve their health.

She said regular monitoring would be conducted to see how beneficiaries were utilizing the monies given to 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 to integrate the critically poor and non-viable households into the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy and budgeting process.

He said under the scheme, people below the extreme poverty line receive 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 GH¢60.00 to GH¢120.00 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.**