The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, says Ghana has taken a major step towards building a coordinated social protection system with the passage of the Social Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1148).
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, she said the new law, together with the Social Protection Regulations, 2026, provides Ghana with its first dedicated legal framework for social protection.
“The Act does three critical things, and these things matter enormously in practice,” Naa Momo Lartey said.
She explained that the law makes the Ghana National Household Registry the sole official mechanism for targeting social protection programmes nationwide.
According to her, this will bring an end to fragmented, programme-by-programme beneficiary lists and provide a unified system for identifying eligible beneficiaries.
“It makes the Ghana National Household Registry the sole official mechanism for targeting social protection nationwide, ending the days of fragmented programme-by-programme beneficiary lists,” she said.
The Minister said the Act also establishes a dedicated Social Protection Fund to finance the coordination, delivery and emergency relief components of the system.
She added that the legislation provides the legal basis for the implementation of the National Shock Responsive Social Protection Strategy, together with its standard operating procedures and implementation plan.
“When the next flood or crisis hits, this country does not need or have to improvise to respond from scratch,” she said.
Naa Momo Lartey said the Ministry has also provided social assistance to more than 1,270 vulnerable persons, including victims of abuse and disasters who required resettlement, reintegration, psychosocial, food and medical support.
She said the reforms are part of the government’s broader commitment to strengthening social protection and ensuring that vulnerable and excluded persons receive appropriate support.
“Ghana now runs social protection on one law, one National Household Registry, and one dedicated fund, and that is the change that has happened,” she said.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Mavis Fantevi
