The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) says any attempt by members to oppose the ongoing lockdown of all metropolis in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions will be “selfish”.

President Akufo Addo in his latest address to the nation, deployed over 2000 joint police and military task force to direct a “Stay at Home” public advisory to check the spread of the Coronavirus in the country.

“I think, for now, all we have to think about is sacrifice and consensus-building. Our position is that whatever the experts will advise will be complied with.

"When we meet and say we won’t abide by the lockdown it means we are being selfish against the will of the country. It is a national issue and not a personal thing,” Dr. Joseph Obeng told Joy Business.

The Deployment

The police administration, in collaboration with the Ghana Navy, Army and Airforce, has deployed security personnel across Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi.

The operation has been dubbed ‘Operation COVID Safety’ and the police describe it as a humanitarian exercise to protect the lives of citizens.

The operation will essentially ensure the effectiveness of law and order in the restricted areas in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Region.

Police say it is crucial for exempted persons moving about to carry identifications. There will be roadblock mounted at vantage points, especially on peripheries of the affected areas. 

Exemptions

During the lockdown period, residents in the affected areas can do banking transactions, get food and petroleum products or use public toilet facilities.

But there will be no inter-city movement of vehicles and aircraft for private or commercial purposes.

Only vehicles and aircrafts providing essential services and those carrying cargo will have some freedom to operate.

Motorists using motorbikes will not be allowed to carry any additional person whilst all intra-city passenger vehicles, such as ‘trotros’ and taxis, have been directed to reduce the number of passengers.

Additionally, all commercial vehicle stations are expected to observe appropriate hygiene protocols and social distancing.

Also, all the markets of the affected metropolises and persons involved activities in the food value chain will be allowed to operate in the markets during this period.

In effect, all persons involved in the growing, processing, and selling the food items will be able to make a living during this period.

But vendors of clothing, electrical gadgets, beauty products, among other everyday items, will not be able to trade during the 14 days of the lockdown. Food chains and restaurants can only operate pick-up and delivery services.

 Other workers who will be able to head to their jobs come Monday will be persons aligned to the production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper and plastic packages, environmental and sanitation activities, road and railway construction workers, members of the security agencies, workers at fuel stations and staff of utility, telecommunications, e-commerce and digital service providers.

Impact on business

Already, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has submitted a document to President Akufo-Addo detailing the economic implications in the event of a potential nationwide lockdown. 

According to him, the Coronavirus was likely to impact adversely on the nation’s customs and other receipts, increase expenditures on health as well as financing conditions on the fiscal front.

“More generally, it is affecting tourism, travel and conferences, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), international trade, food and nutrition, and poverty reduction”.

Mr Ofori-Atta said this when he presented a statement in Parliament to update the House on the fiscal implications of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the measures being taken to pay depositors who had funds with the defunct Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) and Savings and Loans Companies (SLCs).

He announced that the government was putting in place measures to close a possible financing gap in the 2020 Budget that could result from the impact of the coronavirus.

Adding that the measures may include withdrawal from the Ghana Stabilization Fund occasioned by anticipated shortfalls in the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), adding: “We will come to this august House to seek the necessary approvals in due course.''

The Finance Minister further said the government, currently, is in discussion with the World Bank to tap into a US$12 billion World Bank Group fast track COVID-19 facility to help close the financing gap.

Additionally, the government is discussing with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to access part of a $10 billion facility made available by the IMF to address Corona through the Rapid Credit Facility.