• About Us
  • Contact Us
Account
GTB
  • Home
  • News
  • Premium
  • Business
  • Personal Finance
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Retail/Fashion
  • Podcast
    • Business Chat
    • Retiring Richly
    • Sika Nkommo
  • Videos
  • Analysis/Features
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Premium
  • Business
  • Personal Finance
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Retail/Fashion
  • Podcast
    • Business Chat
    • Retiring Richly
    • Sika Nkommo
  • Videos
  • Analysis/Features
No Result
View All Result
Account
Ghana Talks Business
No Result
View All Result

African Development Bank Group supports Ghana’s COVID-19 response plan with $69 million grant

27/07/2020
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Transforming Ghana report, ghanatalksbusiness.com
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsApp

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) on Friday approved a $69 million grant to support Ghana’s efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its socio-economic impact on the nation.

The grant from the ADF, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB.org), will provide fiscal budget support to finance the government’s national COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, and Coronavirus Alleviation Program.

Specifically, the funds will help to upgrade the capacity of healthcare facilities to isolate, diagnose and care for patients, and provide more test kits, pharmaceuticals, equipment and beds. It will also ensure adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers and support financial incentives and an insurance package for health and allied professionals.

Ghana ranks fourth in COVID-19 infections in Africa after South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. As of 24 July 2020, the West African nation has recorded 30,366 cases of the disease, with 26,687 recoveries and 153 deaths.

Overall, the objective is to help contain the spread of the virus, expand testing and ease the impact of the virus on social and economic life

“Overall, the objective is to help contain the spread of the virus, expand testing and ease the impact of the virus on social and economic life, through measures aimed at protecting jobs, sustaining livelihoods and supporting small businesses,” said Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, the Bank’s Director General for West Africa.

The ADF COVID-19 grant is a Crisis Response Budget Support operation, disbursable in a single tranche under the Bank’s $10 billion COVID-19 Response Facility. The grant aligns with one of the Bank’s High 5 priorities, namely to “Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa”.

Under Ghana’s COVID-19 response program, all affected persons will receive free treatment and free water supply. Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) will benefit from a soft loan scheme with one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period. The private sector will also benefit from a tax freeze and refund, direct subsidies and a guarantee fund, enabling businesses to access bank credit.

The program also aims to increase the percentage of the population tested from one percent to three percent by the end of December 2020, boost the number of points of entry reporting suspected cases of COVID-19 from 1 to 14 by the end of September 2020, and increase designated treatment centers with adequate intensive care facilities to 100% by end December 2020.

As elsewhere, the pandemic has slowed down economic activity in the agriculture, industrial and services sectors. The agriculture sector, in particular, will likely record a lower performance since the disease has coincided with the onset of Ghana’s farming season.

The economy of Ghana, which exports gold, cocoa and oil, is negatively affected by a significant increase in public spending due to COVID-19. Real GDP growth is projected at 2.1% in 2020 compared to 6.1% in 2019, while the current account deficit is forecast to widen to 3.6% compared to 3% in 2019, due to a decline in export earnings and lower tourism revenues and remittances.

The COVID-19 pandemic could also deepen inequalities between men and women, with far-reaching health, social, and economic implications, Bank officials noted.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Previous Post

Over 11,000 tourists cancelled trip to Ghana

Next Post

Good News for Tourism Industry

Related Posts

Potential of AfCFTA,,ghanatalksbusiness.com

E-commerce, payments and unlocking the potential of the AfCFTA

01/07/2022
world's most valuable brands

Apple ranks No.1 as World’s Most Valuable Brand, check out other top performers

29/06/2022
Africa's top 10 investment destinations, ghanatalksbusiness.com

CEOs reveal Africa’s top 10 investment destinations

28/06/2022
StockNow App, ghanatalksbusiness.com

StockNow to bring affordable working capital to Africa’s informal retail market

28/06/2022
Financial risk management, ghanatalksbusiness.com

Finance, Risk, and Financial Risk Management: From a Business Manager’s Standpoint

27/06/2022
5G Mokki

5G Mokki, the African Technology Space Network that will impact Global Businesses

20/06/2022
Next Post
tourism industry, ghanatalksbusiness.com

Good News for Tourism Industry

Akufo Addo Covid-19 Update , ghanatalksbusiness.com

President Akuffo Addo eases restrictions on churches, mosques and other worship centres

  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

© 2021 Ghana Talks Business

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Premium
  • Business
  • Personal Finance
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Retail/Fashion
  • Podcast
    • Business Chat
    • Retiring Richly
    • Sika Nkommo
  • Videos
  • Analysis/Features
  • Login

© 2021 Ghana Talks Business

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In