Some Development partners in Africa have commenced a tracking process to check the covid-19 expenditure by some countries on the continent, including Ghana.

The Transparency and Accountability project by Budgit Ghana with support from SEND Ghana International intends to promote transparency on the covid-19 spending between government and the citizens.

Since March 2020 when Ghana recorded its first confirmed coronavirus cases, governments, bilateral and multilateral donors, development banks, philanthropic organizations and the private sector have contributed funds, equipment as well as expertise to support the country’s covid-19 response. 

Among other sources, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank disbursed US$1 billion and US$230 million respectively to assist the West African nation in tackling the pandemic.

In tracking the funds, Budgit Ghana will undertake major research projects to examine the nation’s response to the pandemic, with interest in procurement disclosures and data availability, relief packages to both households and businesses, among others.

Country Director for Budgit, Ray Fiifi Nkum, noted “the unavailability of public data on covid-19 expenditure has raised concerns about the misuse of the intervention funds, among a section of the citizens and civil society”.

“The challenges presented by COVID-19 have made transparency more critical than ever. We are working towards data-driven transparency to improve accountability to development partners and citizens,” Mr. Nkum emphasised.

Deputy Director at SEND Ghana, Dr. Emmanuel Ayifah also urged the government to make available all data on expenditure, relating to the coronavirus to ensure that the findings of the group is accurate.