Coronavirus: Government of Ghana considering potential lockdown, directs Finance Minister to assess the economic impact

Coronavirus: Government of Ghana considering potential lockdown, directs Finance Minister to assess the economic impact

Ghana’s Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has disclosed that President Nana Akufo-Addo has instructed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to conduct an economic impact assessment of potential lockdown measures on the country.
   
   
   
       
       
           
               
                   

Ghana’s Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has disclosed that President Nana Akufo-Addo has instructed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to conduct an economic impact assessment of potential lockdown measures on the country.

               
           
               
                   

According to him, Mr Ofori Atta is expected to dive into how to put in place economic measures to ensure that these measures do not adversely hurt the economy.

               
           
               
                   

The Information Minister said this while addressing the press on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

               
           
               
                   

“The President has instructed the Minister responsible for Finance to build the economic impact assessment which he did about two or three weeks ago and even presented parts of it to Parliament,” he said.

               
           
               
                   

Adding that “But he has also instructed him to work out the implications of any further measures on the economy and how to put in place economic measures, what people call a stimulus programme to ensure that these measures do not adversely hurt the economy.”

               
           
               
                   

Mr Oppong Nkrumah further said, “all things being equal, once he is done, he [the Finance Minister] will brief the nation through Parliament on the economic measures being used there.”

               
           
               
                   

Already, various institutions and individuals have called on the President to implement some form of lockdown to contain the spread of the Coronavirus in Ghana.

               
           
               
                   

Currently, the number of confirmed cases of the pandemic in the country stands at 132.

Source: Coronavirus: Government of Ghana considering potential lockdown, directs Finance Minister to assess the economic impact

- gist culled from pulseng