Government of Ghana has said it will absorb the water bills for all Ghanaians for a period of three months and also ensure that they get constant supply of water, an essential commodity for the prevention of coronavirus in Ghana
This initiative is to aimed at lessening the financial burden of the ordinary Ghana in these trying times occasioned by coronavirus pandemic.
This means that Ghanaians will not pay for water bills from this month to June, 2020.
The intervention was announced during President Akuffo-Addo’s address to the nation on Sunday, April 5, 2020.
Ghana’s Coronavirus Alleviation Programme
The President has earlier through the Finance Minister submitted a Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) to Parliament for approval.
The objective of the CAP is to protect households and livelihoods, and support micro, small and medium-sized businesses to minimize job losses.
Another objective of the CAP is to source an additional funding to support industries “to shore up and expand output for domestic consumption and exports”.
In lieu of this, the President has directed the Ministry of Gender, children and social protection, the local Government Ministry and National Disaster Management Organisation to provide food packages to about 400,000 individuals and homes affected by the lockdown.
Additionally, Government, has collaborated with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Business and Trade Associations as well as Rural and Commercial Banks to provide “soft loans scheme up to a total GH₵600 million for all micro, small and medium scale enterprises.
The loan will however have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period.
Production of PPEs
Furthermore, President Akuffo-Addo says his government is actively engaged with local manufacturing companies to assist them to produce the personal protective equipment (PPEs), domestically.
The local Manufacturing of the PPEs, according to the President will commence from Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
“And I am encouraged by the response from the Ghanaian private sector”, he said.
So far, he said, Government has sent a total of 350, 000 masks, 558,650 examination gloves, 1000 reusable goggles, 20,000 cover-alls, 7,000 N-95 respirators, 500 waterproof gumboots, 2,000 reusable face mask, 2,000 gallons of hand sanitizers, 10,000 100ml pieces of hand sanitizers and 500 shoe covers to the district health directorates to distribute to the various health facilities across the country.
