COVID-19 Archives - Apex News GH

End of COVID-19 pandemic in sight – WHO chief

The world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday, urging nations to keep up their efforts against the virus that has killed over six million people. “We are not there yet. But the end is in sight,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference. The comment was the most optimistic from the UN agency since it declared Covid-19 an international emergency and started describing the virus as a pandemic in March 2020. The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed nearly 6.5 million people and infected 606 million, roiling global economies and overwhelming healthcare systems. The rollout of vaccines and therapies have helped to stem the severity of disease. Deaths from Covid-19 last week were the lowest since March 2020, the U.N. agency reported. Still, countries need to take a hard look at their policies and strengthen them for Covid-19 and future viruses, Tedros said. He also urged nations to vaccinate 100% of their high-risk groups and keep testing for the virus.The WHO warned of the possibility of future waves of the virus and said countries need to maintain adequate supplies of medical equipment and healthcare workers. “We expect there to be future waves of infections, potentially at different time points throughout the world caused by different subvariants of Omicron or even different variants of concern,” said WHO senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove is. Monkeypox cases, too, were on a downtrend but Tedros urged countries to keep up the fight. WHO officials said last month that it is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe by stepping up vaccination and testing. “As with Covid-19, this is not the time to relax or let down our guard.” —Rauter—

Health, Opinion, Politics

COVID-19: Ghc 81million fumigation exercise by Zoomlion GH LTD, a huge loss for Ghana–Dr. Anaba

The Executive Director for the African Centre for Health Policy Research and Analysis, Dr. Thomas Anaba has revealed that the COVID-19 fumigation of churches, markets, schools, and public institutions which were done by Zoomlion Ghana Limited was a huge loss for the country because the chemical used didn’t serve the purpose. Apexnewsgh.com report Dr. Anaba made the revelation during his speech at the TEIN induction ceremony of level 100 students of Gbewa College of Education on Saturday, July 17, 2022. According to Dr. Anaba, “COVID-19 came and all of us were worried how the government could get money to solve the covid-19 problem. Because, since 2019 our economy started sliding down. But fortunately for Ghana, the government was even able to raise more money than what we expected to raise to manage COVID-19. And if you also check our budget and our revenue generation, it is only in 2020 that we slide down about 5 billion but, the rest of the years, we meet our target and even exceeded and that shows that the government had enough money to manage covid-19 and even had excess”. “But here we are if you want to check what government used the monies for, after the finance minister came to accounts for it we virtually used half of the monies. The rest he never told us where it went into. From the very beginning of management of COVID-19, some of us have serious problems with how monies were been expended”. He added: “We complained, first about news dissemination. They left everything to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in Accra, media houses were left out, and even the national council for civic education was left out. Some of us have to come out and talk vigorously before government started giving them money. They never involve local radio stations to be able to translate all the information into local languages. We also saw what happen during the lockdown, they prepared a food handout for people virtually throwing it without accountability. We complained that that was not going to be accountable, after that, they gave us very huge figures about what they spent”. “Meanwhile, we saw benevolent institutions and persons donating items in a very orderly manner, telling people how much they have donated to institutions, and that one could not be done by the government. It came to quarantine, whereby institutions facilities that were used for quarantine, when you trace the background, they were virtually facilities owned by NPP apparatchik. And you were false to pay huge sums of monies instead of government facilitating it and rather making the monies for us to cushion Ghana, they were rather making people in their party make benefits, make do with the incomes from COVID-19 and leaving Ghana. If you look at the revenue we could have generated more, even Kotoka international airport, we could have made a lot of money there, and remember the airport was built with a loan. Instead of letting the COVID-19 test be for the airport, they rather gave it to a private body that made millions of dollars and took it away whiles the government was struggling for money to pay for the construction of the airport. This shows the government wasn’t smart enough”. “When you come to purchase of vaccines, Ghana government has not spent any much money in purchasing vaccine from Ghana’s government pocket. We got virtually everything through donations. The only vaccines we purchased with our money was the one deviled with corruption where a Finance Minister and the Health Minister go ahead and paid money for vaccines we even didn’t have and that really brought about the brouhaha in the system”. “You remembered they said, they were distributing PPEs to school, we traced and realized that many schools didn’t get PPEs meanwhile million were spent on PPEs. The most interesting thing, I see how they collaborated with private institutions to dupe Ghana, is the fumigation of churches, markets, schools, and public institutions, where Zoomlion Ghana Limited claimed they have fumigated Ghana and collected Ghc 81million when they knew very that fumigation they were doing had no effect because the chemical they were using was not going to serve the purpose they were using for. So, that was Ghc 81million loss”. “They decided to insure all health front liners, I am a front liner, many private facilities were front liners but they never had any insurance but the worst of it is that all those who were insured with insurance were insured with Enterprise Insurance, the same Finance Minister’s private company this shows how they worked to dupe this country of resources”. Dr. Anaba expressed satisfaction following parliamentary interest for an independent audit into the matter because he believes the corruption witnessed by Ghanaians during COVID-19 was massive. However, he encouraged the newly inducted students of Gbewa College of Education to take their studies serious irrespective of their political engagement on campus. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/ Gbewa College of Education/TEIN

Health, Politics

Gov’t has been transparent with COVID-19 expenditure – Ofori-Atta

Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has denied claims that government has not been transparent with its COVID-19 expenditure. Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the Minister said all programmed, mobilized and utilized funds pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic have been dully reported in line with government’s commitment to accountability and transparency. His presentation comes on the back of the Minority’s demand for an audit into all COVID-19 related expenses over discrepancies in government’s expenditure data. However, responding to questions, the Mr. Ofori-Atta said government is transparent on its expenditure items and will continue to operate an open-door policy and welcomes any opportunity to engage in the national interest. “Mr. Speaker, at this juncture, I wish to dispel the notion that there have been inconsistencies in government data on COVID-19. His Excellency the President intimated during that State of the Nation Address on 30th March, 2022, that we had mobilized about Gh¢17.7 billion since 2020 to fight the pandemic. “We have subsequently reconciled the data and I can report that as of end-May, 2022, we have mobilized Gh¢18.19 billion to mitigate the effect of the pandemic. Again, when His Excellency the Vice President indicated on 7th April, 2022 at the National TESCON Conference that Government had spent Gh¢8.1 billion on Covid-19, it was within the context of expenditures for 2020 as I have already indicated,” the Minister said. This the Minister explained that out of the Gh¢18.19 billion expended to mitigate the effect of the pandemic, GH¢1,550 million was disbursed under the Support to Households Programme, GH¢1,049 million was allocated to health response-supplies equipment and relief for health workers, GH¢600 million was released to begin the construction across the country and a further GH¢763.92 million has been released to continue the construction of the 111 district hospitals. He said government also programmed a total amount of GH¢875 million for security operations, evacuation of Ghanaians stranded abroad and coordination of MMDAs’ sanitation and disinfection exercises. Additionally, he said in line with measures to stabilize the economy after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, government implemented programmes to revitalize the economy and protect jobs. This includes the GH¢600 million utilized under Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme (CAPBuSS) by the NBSSI now the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA). With regards to vaccine procurement, the Minister indicated that GH¢929.30 million was allocated. A total amount of GH¢775.82 million was released for the purchase of Sputnik V, the Janssen COV SARS 2 COVID Vaccines and the Emergency deployment of vaccines in schools among other key government’s disbursement. —Starrfm

Health, Politics

Ghana has committed $25 million to develop domestic vaccine production capability—Pres. Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said, Ghana as a country has committed twenty-five million dollars ($25 million) to develop our domestic vaccine production capability. “We have committed twenty-five million dollars ($25 million) to develop our domestic vaccine production capability, and facilitate the capacity of domestic pharmaceutical companies to fill, finish and package mRNA COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis and other vaccines, as a first step towards vaccine production Below are President’s statement I first came to your homes on Wednesday, 11th March 2020, five (5) days after our nation’s 63rd Independence Day celebration, a day before we recorded our first two (2) cases, with news of the measures Government was taking to limit the importation of the COVID-19 virus into the country. Even at that time, it was obvious to me, watching what was happening in Asia, Europe and Latin America, that, if it was not well-managed, it would disrupt our lives and livelihoods. 2. Since then, we have experienced four (4) waves of the outbreak. One hundred and sixty-thousand, nine hundred and thirty-two (160,932) people have tested positive from the 2.4 million tests conducted, and one thousand, four hundred and forty-five (1,445) people have, sadly, died. 3. Our comprehensive strategy has entailed living with restrictions that altered our daily routine; we have been restrained from shaking hands and hugging one another; we have had to keep a distance from each other; we have had to put up with the discomfort of wearing face masks every time we left our homes; we have had to endure distress caused by the poking of our nostrils and throats with swab-sticks, each time we underwent a PCR or antigen test; we had to endure, for three weeks, the painful lockdown in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and contiguous districts; and we have all borne the brunt of the ravages of the pandemic. 4. As your President, I saw it as my duty to provide you with regular updates on the situation, the measures government is taking, and to seek your support and co-operation. That is why I have been a constant feature on your screens these past two years, in the addresses that have now become popularly referred to as “Fellow Ghanaians”, and I thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your homes. 5. You have listened to me, you have co-operated with Government and with the health experts, you have adhered to the enhanced hygiene and mask wearing protocols, and a considerable number of you have taken the vaccine. 6. I thank you for the opportunity you have given me to be your President in these difficult times. I do not take it lightly. The relative successes we have chalked in winning the fight against COVID-19 have been collective ones, which reinforce my belief that, if we are united, there is no obstacle or hurdle too high to surmount in our quest to build a progressive and prosperous Ghana. 7. Fellow Ghanaians, undoubtedly, like in every country in the world, the effects of the pandemic have been devastating for us, in Ghana. We have felt the brunt of COVID-19, with every aspect of national life affected. 8. I did say at the height of the pandemic that “we know what to do to bring the economy back to life; but what we do not know is how to bring people back to life”. We, thus, had to take drastic steps to protect lives and livelihoods by suspending, for the years 2020 and 2021, our pursuit of fiscal responsibility, which had made the Ghanaian economy the poster boy of rapid economic growth in the world in 2017, 2018, and 2019. 9. You would recall that, in response to the pandemic, I mandated the creation of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme to support households and micro, small, and medium-size businesses (MSMEs). Its intent was to help minimise job losses, and stimulate economic revitalisation, by mobilising private and public sector finances to expand industrial output for domestic consumption and exports. 10. To this end, I instituted a GH¢1.1 billion health response package, which was used to procure supplies and equipment, and a relief package for health workers, which included tax waivers, allowances, transportation and COVID-insurance. Government also found the money to recruit, on a permanent basis, twenty-four thousand, two hundred and eighty-five (24,285) more health professionals. 11. GH¢1.6 billion was made available to support vulnerable households across the country, which went into food packages and hot meals, and the provision of free water for all, free electricity for lifeline consumers, and 50% rebate for all others. Some seven hundred and fifty million cedis (GH¢750 million) in soft loans and grants were also disbursed to micro, small and medium sized businesses to help maintain their economic activity. The Government Statistician tells us that this expenditure has achieved its purpose. 12. At the height of the pandemic, despite strong opposition in some quarters and the legitimate concern of some parents, we stood firm and were successful in ensuring that the education of our children was not truncated. 13. We spent some GH¢1.9 billion providing PPEs and hot meals for students, teaching and non-teaching staff, hand washing facilities, training of teachers on COVID, development of content for online classes, and disinfection and fumigation of schools. This made it possible for students to return in conditions of safety, sit for their respective examinations, and achieve successful results. Indeed, the spectacular results of the first and second batches of the Free SHS graduates, whom I proudly call the Akufo-Addo graduates, are testament to this. 14. I want to state, without any equivocation, that should our nation, God forbid, be confronted by such a pandemic again, and I, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, am, by the grace of God, your President, I will not shy away from taking such essential steps to protect you and your businesses again. 15. Whilst we count the costs, COVID-19 also inspired our domestic manufacturing capabilities, and deepened our

Climate Change

Bawku cut off in recent COVID-19 vaccination campaign due to conflict–RHD

It has been announced that conflict in Bawku and subsequent restrictions in the area, including the imposition of curfew and ban on motorbike riding, and also a land dispute between the people of Kandiga and Doba which equally led to curfew in the two communities would affect the vaccination exercise. This was made known by the Deputy Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in charge of Public Health Dr. Josephat Nyuzaghl, during a media engagement in Bolgatanga He said: “It has been difficult to get all our health workers to communities to reach out to as many people as possible. For this campaign that we would be embarking on, Bawku Municipal for instance will not be taking part,”. According to him, the Directorate would rely on advice from the security agencies and the various Municipal Health Directors on safe days in the areas for vaccines to be safely deployed, especially in the Bawku Municipality and its environs. Speaking on the number of doses in the Region, he said a total of 680,460 AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines were received. Out of the number, 429,757, representing 63.2 percent doses were used, noting that 250,703 doses, representing 36.8 percent of AstraZeneca, Johnson, and Johnson Pfizer vaccines were available for use in the five days exercise. “We do not have issues regarding vaccine availability in the Region. People must avail themselves to be vaccinated. With those who have received at least one dose so far, we have been able to vaccinate 301,660 out of the 830,693 Regional targets. “This gives us a proportion of 36 percent of our target population. For those fully vaccinated, we have been able to reach 141,562 persons, representing 17.0 percent of our target population,” He said “I am happy to say that all the vaccines that we received were utilized even before they expired. So, in terms of strategies, micro-planning is critical when it comes to any vaccination programme, and what we have done over the period is to specifically target some of the decentralized departments and agencies to ensure they are aware of the vaccination exercise.” The Deputy Director pointed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Climate Change

Akufo-Addo’s full 27th COVID address to the nation

Address By The President Of The Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, On Updates To Ghana’s Enhanced Response To The Coronavirus Pandemic, On Wednesday, 15th December 2021. Fellow Ghanaians, good evening. It has been some time since I last came into your homes on a matter that has grabbed not only our attention but that of every country in the world. However, as Christmas approaches, with its attendant, charged activities and with an expected influx of visitors, it is important that I come back into your homes to provide an update on what the government is doing to combat the pandemic, and what is expected of you, the Ghanaian people, in this season. When I delivered the last update, I indicated that, in spite of the efforts to rid the nation of COVID-19, the fight was far from over, as we had begun to experience a third wave of COVID-19 infections, driven largely by the delta variant. The data tells us that the months of August and September, in particular, were the most devastating. Some three hundred and ten (310) lives were lost to the virus in those two months alone, representing a quarter of the cumulative deaths from the virus since we recorded our first case in March 2020. In the months of October and November, a consistent decline in infection rates occurred, and, mercifully and by the Grace of God, this has continued right into early December. As of Sunday, 12th December, some two million and forty-two thousand, thousand, seven hundred and seventy-eight (2,042,778) tests have been conducted, out of which one hundred and thirty-one thousand, nine hundred and eleven (131,911) positive cases have been recorded. One hundred and twenty-nine thousand, six hundred and eighty-three (129,683) persons have recovered, meaning that, presently, the number of active cases, that is the number of people with the virus, stands at nine hundred and seventy-three (973) persons. In as much as this represents some degree of good news, we have, sadly, had one thousand, two hundred and fifty-five (1,255) persons dying from COVID-19. The current data suggests quite a favourable COVID situation prevailing in Ghana, and I say this only to encourage each one of us to continue to be vigilant, and adhere to the enhanced hygiene protocols which have served us so well so far. Three regions, i.e., Ashanti, Greater Accra and Volta, have the bulk of infections. Seven (7) regions have single-digit infections, and six (6) regions, that is Ahafo, North East, Oti, Savannah, Upper West and Western North, at the moment, have zero (0) active cases. We must do everything possible, at the very least, to maintain this situation, especially as the festive season approaches. Whilst these numbers should normally provide us with some comfort, as far as this virus is concerned, I am a firm believer in the oft-cited adage that “it is better to be safe than sorry”. We are expecting, in this month of Christmas, a large number of visitors, overseas Ghanaians and foreigners, into the country. With the Immigration Service doing a yeoman’s job by intercepting many foreign nationals trying to enter the country through unapproved routes, Government’s concern has been to limit the importation of the virus through the Kotoka International Airport. As things stand, international passengers arriving at Kotoka constitute the highest source of infections in the country, leading us to take drastic measures recently to prevent the importation of the virus from increasing the numbers of infections in the country. The Ghana Health Service tells us that an overwhelming majority, that is seventy-five per cent (75%), of the positive cases recorded at Kotoka have come from passengers who are not vaccinated. Beginning yesterday, Tuesday, 14th December, Government has decided that all visitors coming to Ghana have to be fully vaccinated. Furthermore, all persons seeking to travel outside the country must also be fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated passengers coming to Ghana must, in addition, be in possession of a negative PCR test of not more than seventy-two (72) hours, and also take a mandatory COVID test upon arrival at the airport. Children aged five (5) to twelve (12) will not pay for the test. Any passenger, testing positive at the airport, will be kept in isolation, at a designated isolation facility, and a non-Ghanaian will receive treatment at his or her own cost. Communications have been duly sent to all airlines flying into Ghana of the imposition of a three-thousand-five-hundred dollar (US$3,500) fine for each unvaccinated passenger that is allowed to board a flight into the country. Unvaccinated Ghanaians and residents in Ghana, who departed the country before 14th December, and who return by 28th December, will be offered vaccination on arrival at the airport. Further details will be provided by the Ghana Health Service. These are stringent measures, I know, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives. As your President, it is my duty to protect lives and livelihoods. The ravages of COVID-19 have been devastating on our economy, and I am determined to return us to our normal way of life as quickly as possible, by helping to defeat the pandemic. Fellow Ghanaians, as I indicated at the outset, the month of December elicits, naturally, an increase in the number of social gatherings in the country. I know many of you have planned either to host or attend a number of gatherings such as religious events and activities, funerals, weddings, concerts, musical shows, festivals, anniversaries, sporting events, family gatherings and parties. Nonetheless, we should be guided by what transpired last Christmas, where there was a sharp spike in the number of COVID infection cases and deaths in the immediate months of January and February 2021. We should avoid the repetition of such a scenario after this year’s Christmas celebration. We do so by: ensuring that social events are held in open spaces; ensuring that attendees wear masks; ensuring that social distancing is observed; observing enhanced hygiene protocols, such as hand washing and the use of sanitisers; and encouraging attendees, as much as possible, to come vaccinated. In as much as our active cases are now relatively low,

Opinion, Politics

Vaccination will protect you and your family not to change your mind of voting – President Akufo-Addo

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President of the Republic of has described the assertion that getting the COVID-19 jab will change the minds of people to vote for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) against their will in the 2024 election as outrageous. Apexnewsgh.com reports According to the President during his 27 national COVID address about measures being put in place by his government to fight the pandemic on Wednesday, 15 December 2021, assuring, he said the vaccines are safe. “They will not harm you.” He said, “They will protect you and your family”. “Contrary to the mischief being peddled by some, getting vaccinated will not cause you to vote for the NPP in the 2024 elections if you do not want to”, “This is an outrageous claim”, he asserted. “Vaccination cannot change your political preferences. That is not its purpose” President pointed. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion, Politics

We will probe over GHC32m spent on conferences even under COVID–Muntaka Mubarak

The Minority side in Parliament has indicated that it will not let any cat out of the bag in probing the government’s spending on COVID-19. Apexnewsgh.com report According to the Asawase Member of Parliament Muntaka Mubarak his side would get involved in every proceeding in the House and “will hold their (Majority) legs close to the fire to make sure that everything is accounted for, every pesewa that was approved in 2021.” He reiterated, that the Minority Caucus will make sure that Ghanaians know how the nation’s scarce resources are being used by the NPP administration. “I can tell you this, a lot of these Ministries are sweating, I mean if people can choose to spend Ghc32million on conferences during COVID, you have to provide details. And if one particular office can spend 1billion, we need details and they are sweating already,” he revealed. “We do not want these things to stand uncontested and exhaustive because if you allow it to stay, it becomes part of rules of the House. We want to be sure that all avenues would be exhausted then we are certain that this is what we want to be part of the proceeding of the House. Remember, I have always said the House is by three things, the Standing Orders, the Constitution and our practice,” he pointed. “Our concentration is to do our bid and our bid is that we are holding the government to account for its stewardship. We are saying that we will not allow you to waste our resources, resources that have been given to you. You must account for it properly. If you want to do anything use the right procedure,” he said. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Health, Opinion

EIB supports Ghana’s Covid-19 Nat’l Response Plan with €82.5m

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has welcomed the €82.5 million support offered to Ghana by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to strengthen healthcare, provision of specialist medical equipment and medicines across Ghana under the national COVID-19 Health Response Plan. The concessional financing package, which comprises a €75 million facility from the EIB, and €7.5 million grant from the European Commission, was signed at the Luxembourg Headquarters of the European Investment Bank, following President Akufo-Addo’s official visit to Luxembourg on Monday, 13th December 2021. The new agreement with Ghana represents the largest national EIB financing for COVID-related health investment in Africa. The new facility, representing the EIB’s largest support for COVID-related health investment in sub-Saharan Africa, was signed on behalf of Ghana by Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ambroise Fayolle, European Investment Bank Vice-President in the presence of President Nana Akufo-Addo, EIB President Werner Hoyer and H.E. Sena Siaw-Boateng, Ambassador of Ghana to the European Union. “Strengthened cooperation between Africa and multilateral development partners is crucial to share global best practice and ensure a rapid response to health, social and health challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Investment Bank and the European Union are key partners for Ghana and I welcome their support for our national COVID-19 Health Response Plan,” President Akufo- Addo said. He continued, “Ghanaian and EIB experts have worked tirelessly in recent months to finalise this initiative since President Hoyer and I met earlier this year. Specialist healthcare and medical services will benefit from both the EIB’s largest backing for COVID health resilience in Africa and EU grant support”. “Ghana has taken visionary steps to ensure that the impact of COVID can be managed and long-term investment unlocked to strengthen both health services and access to finance by businesses. A few months ago President Akufo-Addo and I confirmed EIB backing for the Development Bank of Ghana. It is an honour to welcome our Ghanaian friends to our Luxembourg headquarters to demonstrate the impact of our joint response to improve COVID-19 healthcare and discuss how to further strengthen Team Europe’s partnership to improve lives and opportunities in Ghana in the years ahead.” said Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank. “Europe and Ghana stand side by side to tackle the health challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new Team Europe support for Ghana’s COVID-19 Health Response Plan will strengthen public health and enhance resilience to the pandemic across Ghana in the months and years ahead through new investment backed by the European Union and European Investment Bank,” said Jutta Urpilainen, European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss recent EIB support for the retrofit of the Kpong Dam, Development Bank Ghana and COVAX, explore future cooperation to support local vaccine manufacturing and outline the EIB’s strengthened engagement in Africa through a new dedicated development finance branch to be launched in the new year. The EIB and EU backed health investment will improve medical treatment for patients with COVID at Treatment and Isolation Centres and Intensive Care Units, as well as measures to detect and contain the virus and slow down transmission. The initiative will both enhance medical treatment during the pandemic and enhance public health in the years ahead. Ghana was the first country in Africa to receive COVID-19 vaccines under the EIB and EU backed COVAX initiative. EIB experts also briefed President Akufo-Addo on plans to further accelerate the delivery of vaccines across sub-Saharan Africa. EIB strengthening co-operation with Ghana The EIB is finalising new support for business investment in Ghana with ECOBANK that is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks. This follows the formal agreement in May this year between President Akufo Addo and EIB President Werner Hoyer for EUR 170 million EIB backing for the new Development Bank Ghana. This represented the largest-ever EIB engagement in Ghana and the most significant support for a national development finance institution in Africa. Once operational Development Bank Ghana will increase access to long-term finance and boost job creation for thousands of businesses in key sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT tourism and other services across Ghana. The European Investment Bank is the world’s largest international public bank and financed transformational investment across Ghana, including renewable energy at the Kpong Dam, business and services, since 1976. Background information The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. —classfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion

People funded ‘personal economic recovery progs.’ with COVID funds; do value-for-money audit – Domelevo

Former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo has suggested there be an independent audit of all COVID-19 expenses made by the government. The anti-graft campaigner today, Wednesday, 13 October 2021, delivered a lecture at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) at which he noted that although the government has good intentions of protecting the citizens, some individuals may have taken advantage of the situation to stash their pockets with COVID funds in the heat of the fight against the pandemic. Responding to a question asked by Class91.3FM’s Blessed Sogah, Mr Domelevo said: “COVID actually provided grounds for a lot of expenditure in the public sector and Ghana is not alone, it is all over the world; there have been quick mobilisation of public resources to address the challenges posed by COVID and in the process, people also have found ways of funding their personal economic recovery programmes at the expense of the public”. He said: “I’ll recommend that we do what we refer to as value-for-money or performance audit to arrive at or to determine how our resources were used; if they were used for the intended purposes, what are some of the challenges and what are the recommendations or business continuity plan so that in case another disaster or pandemic happens – perish my thoughts; I’m not saying we should expect another one but just in case another should happen – we’ll know how to address it and be more transparent and accountable so that we do not panic and just do anything”. “The sad part of it is that, at times the government has a very good intention because you want to protect life and property or lives of Ghanaians or citizens, you may relax and not comply with some of the rules and at the same time, remain accused of abusing our resources”, he noted. He noted: “It is good we have a second look at our laws on procurement, we look at our laws on financial management to see in cases of such developments, how quickly can funds be made available, what type of procurement can be done and what are the accountability mechanisms that must be in place”. “I’m aware there is a trust fund which was set up and it provides for some of those. It is good to test it against what happened to see whether there was full compliance. If there was no compliance, what made it impossible or difficult for it to be complied with”, Mr Domelevo said. The Ministry of Finance, in March this year, debunked media reports that claimed that the government spent GH¢1.7 billion on the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the government says it spent GH¢19 billion. The Ministry, in a statement, said GH¢1.7 billion reflects expenditures on only two items under the COVID-19 related expenditures, namely, COVID-19 Alleviation Programme 1 (CAP1) and Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 1. It said other COVID-19 expenditures were COVID-19 Alleviation Programme 2 (CAP2), COVID-19 Preparedness Plan 2, Provision of Health Infrastructure, Seed Fund for Capitalisation of Development Bank, among others. As of end-December 2020, the ministry said Ghana incurred a revenue shortfall of GH¢11,942.7 million and expenditure increase of GH¢14,074.2 million in relation to their respective targets in the 2020 budget passed in Parliament in November 2019. It said the amount of GH¢16.8 billion referred to in Appendix 12B only provided information on sources of financing the fiscal gap resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These monies were sourced from the IMF (GH¢5,853 million), AfDB (GH¢405.7 million), EU (GH¢504 million), and BOG COVID-19 Bonds (GH¢10,000 million), among others. For the avoidance of doubt, Appendix 2A of the 2021 Budget Statement indicates that total financing for 2020 was GH¢44,897.9 million and not GH¢16,460.4 million. The Ministry also noted that media reports that suggested that the government announced that the COVID-19 levy was to be utilised in paying for free water and electricity of 2020 was incorrect. The statement said the Minister of Information’s comment to the effect that COVID-19 expenses include water and electricity, ought not to be misconstrued to mean the new taxes of 2021 are a direct charge for those services. The details of the usage of funds from the COVID-19 levy are listed on Page 75 of the 2021 budget as follows: Procurement, distribution and administration of vaccines ‒ the first batch of 600,000 doses from the COVAX Facility have already been delivered and an additional 17,600,000 vaccine doses to be delivered by June, with more to come in the course of the year. As of Wednesday 10th March 2021, over 262,335 Ghanaians received the first dose of the vaccines; Establishment of fourteen (14) medical waste treatment facilities across the country for safe disposal of medical waste in collaboration with the private sector; Thirty-three (33) major health projects approved for implementation at a cost of €890 million; To date, 14,600,000 pieces of personal protective equipment produced domestically and distributed to health workers, students, teaching and non-teaching staff of tertiary and secondary educational institutions; Fumigation and disinfection of public places including, airports, markets, schools, hospitals, offices etc.; Agenda 111 ‒ the construction of 100-bed District Hospitals in 101 Districts with no hospitals, seven (7) Regional Hospitals for the new Regions, including one for the Western Region, the construction of two (2) new psychiatric hospitals for the Middle and Northern Belts, respectively, and the rehabilitation of Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region; and The need to recruit more health care professionals, in addition to the 100,000 recruited in the first term of the President. —classfm Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

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