Govt’s GHS11.8bn Supplementary Budget Approved

Parliament has given the green light to government's request for GHS11.8 billion in supplementary estimates for the 2020 financial year.

Before the approval, the Minority raised questions of accountability over the use of the resources in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu in the House on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, said, “Mr Speaker, we heard about Agenda 111. The President himself said Agenda 88. So who should we believe? And this is not the first time. The President did well commissioning the Eastern Regional Hospital but to the credit of the NDC. The Upper West, Central, Brong Ahafo regional hospitals were all infrastructure undertaken by the previous NDC government.”

In response to the concerns, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, outlined the areas of expenditure for the funds approved by Parliament for the management of COVID-19.

“Mr. Speaker, please allow me to restate what the GHS11.8 billion supplementary estimate which includes an amount of GHS1.84 billion that Parliament approved in March 2020 for emergency COVID related expenditures was requested for. GHS1.84 billion [will be used] for the implementation of the COVID-19 preparedness plan to be implemented by the Ministry of Health, the plan to focus on expanding laboratories to increase the network of functional laboratories for COVID-19 testing for improved database management and coordination, creating isolation centres in all regions and districts, revitalizing the systems for tracking case confirmation and management among others, GHS600 million to mobilise the construction for the Agenda 111 district hospitals, GHS1.204 million for CAP 1 program which includes the GHS600 million support for small businesses, relief for water during the first three months, support for frontline workers, etc.”

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