Audio By Carbonatix
The Minority in Parliament is demanding details of the $100m allocated by government to the fight against novel coronavirus.
According to the Majority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister for Finance must furnish the House with the further particulars to ensure accountability even as measures are rolled out towards ensuring prevention and containment of the virus.
President Akufo-Addo, in a public address on March 11, stated that the setting aside of the funds was necessary to step up the county’s preparedness to fight the disease.
“At my prompting, the Minister for Finance has made available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance our coronavirus preparedness and response plan,” the President said.
Information Minister subsequently told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Top Story the following day that the said fund was sourced from the Consolidated Fund and other donor partners committed to the fight against the disease.
The World Bank had earlier made available an initial package of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries in coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak.
Confirming Ghana's receipt of some support from the Bank, Mr Nkrumah could, however, not readily provide details of the exact amount that hit the country’s account.
On the fraction secured from the Consolidated Fund and other donor partners, he said “I don’t have that in front of me right now but the lump sum is what I am able to share with you as the President mentioned.
But speaking on the floor of Parliament today after the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta made a presentation in the House, Minority Leader quizzed, “Why is it conspicuously lost in your statement the state of the $100 million.”
“We want to know whether you have committed the money as was directed by the president and for what purpose,” he added.
The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service on March 15, 2020, confirmed four more cases of the deadly coronavirus in the country.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to six.
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