¢54.3m spent on meals served to vulnerable during 3-week lockdown – Ofori-Atta

Finance Minister Ken-Ofori-Atta has said government committed GH¢54.3 million to meals distributed during the 3 weeks lockdown in Accra and Kumasi.

Ken Ofori-Atta added that over 400,000 vulnerable persons on the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme also benefitted some GH¢50.2 million.

Presenting the Mid–year review and supplementary budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2020, he stated that hot meals served to vulnerable by the Gender Ministry and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) during the lockdown cost GH¢54.3m.

“In collaboration with Faith-Based Organizations, government also distributed dry food packages to about 470,000 families. Let me extend my deepest gratitude to the Faith-based organisations for this unique partnership with government and may the Lord count this as righteousness for the FBOs and government,” he disclosed.

He added, ”Mr Speaker, the support to households, in terms of supply of dry food packs and hot cooked meals cost Government ¢54.3 million to enable them to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. This was in addition to an amount of ¢50.2 million transferred to the 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme”.

In April 2020, government embarked on an exercise to provide food for underprivileged persons in parts of the country that are under lockdown.

The package was targeted at some 400,000 vulnerable individuals and homes. Govt to pay laid off workers temporary incomes

Ken Ofori-Atta, further said that a temporary financial relief programme for persons who lost their jobs as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Government will inject liquidity into the system to ease cash flow difficulties of businesses and protect workers by honouring obligations to contractors and suppliers in a timely manner…Government, through the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), will collaborate with the Social Partners (Labour and Employers) to establish a National Unemployment Insurance Scheme.

“The scheme will provide temporary income support to workers that are laid off and also provide them access to re-training to help them take advantage of employment opportunities in new fields,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.