GH¢18.19bn mobilised for Covid-19 fight; GH¢12bn was utilised – Ofori-Atta

The government mobilised a total of GH¢18.19 billion to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country for 2020 and 2021.

Government ended up spending GH¢12 billion out of the total figure generated within the period in question.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, when he delivered a statement in Parliament on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, on government’s Covid-19 response expenditure.

“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.

“Mr. Speaker, for the years 2020 and 2021, the programmed expenditure amounted to GH¢15,763.48 million for the COVID-19-related expenditures out of which the actual utilisation was GH¢12,036.41 million,” he added.

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 [of Agenda 111 health facilities] 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.”