Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, interim Minister of Finance and Economic Planning has said that in addition to continuing its priority programmes, the Ministry will implement additional initiatives to drive recovery.
These will include scale-up the vaccination of Ghanaians to enable us attain herd immunity in Ghana by end 2021, continue implementation of Agenda 111 to provide hospitals and related infrastructure nationwide to improve the delivery of healthcare, intensify efforts to improve public sanitation, support to those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 to find other gainful employment opportunities.
The rest are deploying resources for our security agencies to maintain peace and security, complete many of ongoing infrastructure projects within our resource envelope; reflecting the theme of the budget, the implementation of the GhanaCARES programme to revitalize the economy and create employment, and continue the implementation of its flagship programmes including the Planting for Food and Jobs, the Free Senior High School and the One District, One Factory agenda.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government cares about the welfare of the people and the need for business to create wealth and for that matter the next four years will see a more clinical structural focus on President Akufo-Addo’s transformation agenda as we build with deliberate rapidity on the gains so far made.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu made the statement when presenting this year’s budget in Parliament which was on the theme, “Consolidation, Completion and Continuation (“Won Ya Wo Hiee” Budget).
He announced that the Government has decided to chart a new direction from 2021.
He noted that a major concern of all Ghanaians across the political divide, is the usually wasteful spectre of uncompleted public projects scattered across the country which must stop.
He added that Governments owe the people a duty to use limited public funds responsibly hence, “our goal is to bring to an end the culture of unfinished projects which is the main focus of Government for this year that there will be fulfilment of existing commitment and the completion of existing projects.
“In this regard, pursuing the GH¢100 billion GhanaCARES (Obaatan pa) programme, which by far is the boldest and biggest economic recovery programme in the country’s history, will enable us to turn the challenges created by COVID-19 into opportunities for socio-economic transformation. This programme will foster closer collaboration with the Ghanaian private sector, labour, the people, our development partners and foreign investors”, he opined.
He stated that the implementation arrangements for the GhanaCARES programme are in place with clear budgets set and milestones developed to establish delivery units in the relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) and partner with the private sector, academia and other practitioners to facilitate and monitor implementation.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
