The Minority Leader, Haruna Idrissu has asked the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta to provide details on the $100 million the president directed to be used to manage the novel coronavirus disease.
The leader made this call when the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta appeared in Parliament to answer questions on the amount used in printing the new GHS100 and GHS200 notes.
President Akufo-Addo directed Ken Ofori-Atta to make available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance Ghana’s Coronavirus preparedness and response plan.
“We have a duty to remind the Minister for Finance to provide answers on why no update is provided on the $100 million in his statement. We want to know whether you have committed the money as you were directed by the president and for to what purpose and what the money will be used for because you are aware that the WHO has assessed Ghana and in their assessment, they said case management, zero percent, rapid response, thirty percent, PPE’s thirty percent and they position Noguchi and the Kumasi Research Institute as being capable so we are demanding from you where is the $100 million and for what purpose and what is it dedicated for.”
“We need to know as a country because if as we speak, major hospitals have no water supply particularly in Tema area and other areas around Prampram and we are telling people to wash their hands with soap under running water yet there are some places without water.”
$100m provided to enhance coronavirus preparedness – Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo during his first address to the nation on the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, said he has directed the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to make available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance Ghana’s Coronavirus preparedness and response plan.
This amount, according to President Akufo-Addo, “is to fund the expansion of infrastructure, purchase of materials and equipment, and public education.”
Delivering an address to the nation explained that, with the declaration by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the Coronavirus disease as “a pandemic”, it is important that Ghana steps up her preparedness to ensure that, beyond the initial measures that have been put in place, a ‘whole of Ghana’ approach is adopted in preparation for a possible hit within the country’s borders.
Updates are yet to be given on how the money had been expended.
Confirmed cases in Ghana
Four more cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Ghana.
Ghana has a total number of six cases reported in the country.
This was announced by the government yesterday, March 15, 2020, at a press briefing to update citizens on the outbreak of the Novel 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.
The government said three of the cases were recorded in Accra while one other was recorded in the Ashanti Region.
The Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie who provided updates on the country’s cases said the new cases were also imported into the country.
He said two of the cases were confirmed on the 13th of March 2020 while the other two were confirmed on 14th March, 2020.
