We spent GHC 54.3m on cooked meals during lockdown period - Ofori-Atta

We spent GHC 54.3m on cooked meals during lockdown period - Ofori-Atta

- About GHC54.3 million went into the distribution of cooked meals to the vulnerable and less privileged during the lockdown

- Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta says over 400,000 Ghanaians in Accra and Kumasi benefitted from the programme

- Government has also promised to supply free water and electricity for another three months

- Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Government has revealed it spent GHC54.3 million on the cooked it served the underprivileged during the 21-day lockdown in Accra and Kumasi.

According to the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, government also distributed shared GHC50.2 million to over 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.

Presenting the NPP government’s mid-year-budget to Parliament on Thursday, July 23, the Minister gave the breakdown as follows;

We spent GHC 54.3m on cooked meals during lockdown period - Ofori-Atta
We spent GHC 54.3m on cooked meals during lockdown period - Ofori-Atta. Source:Myjoyonline.com
Source: UGC

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The Gender Ministry provided 1,827,581 packed hot meals while the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) gave out 917,142 packs to the old and less privileged persons in the affected areas.

“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,” Mr. Ofori-Atta noted.

In April this year, 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 individuals and homes in the affected areas of the restrictions imposed by President Nana Akufo-Addo in his bid to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

READ ALSO: Suspend directive to GBC – Akufo-Addo tells Ursula

Government has established a Guarantee Scheme of up to GH¢2 billion to enable businesses to borrow from banks at more affordable rates and at longer tenor.

This was announced by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta during the mid-year budget review and supplementary estimates on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Minister noted that the establishment of the GH¢2 billion Guarantee Scheme is to help businesses to access loans from banks at affordable rates in order to retain jobs and to save businesses who have been impacted negatively by the coronavirus pandemic.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a communications member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region, Onasis Rosely Kobby, has revealed that John Mahama will introduce free tertiary education when he gets the mandate from the people of Ghana on December 7, 2020.

According to Kobby, the next John Mahama government will ensure university students do not pay school fees. Speaking on Kumasi based Hello FM, Onasis Rosely Kobby opined that Ghanaians will find out more when the party launches its manifesto for the 2020 election.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

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