The Minister of Finance has revealed that government spent GH¢18.19 billion to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses and households.
Ken Ofori-Atta disclosed this while delivering his statement on the government’s expenditure during the pandemic.
“Mr. Speaker, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on businesses and households, ensure that economic activities recover and minimize job losses, government mobilised GH¢18.19 billion out of the programmed GH¢19.3 billion in 2020 from various funding sources,” the Minister said.
Out of the Gh¢18.19 billion, the government budgeted Gh¢1,203,715,085.77 to finance the Coronavirus
Alleviation Programme.
GH¢1.5 billion was disbursed under the Support to Households Programme, GH¢1 billion was allocated to health response supplies equipment and relief for health workers, and GH¢600 million was released to begin the construction across the country.
The government also allocated GH¢200 million for the provision of free water and electricity for lifeline consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic, but GH¢143 million was subsequently spent.
He explained that the government absorbed 50% of all “electricity bills for all residential and commercial customers.”