2020 mid-year budget 'bold', 'we must succeed' – Nana Aba Anamoah

Media personality Nana Aba Anamoah has said it will be to Ghana’s credit if government is able to achieve all initiatives spelt out in the July 2020 mid-year budget review.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, on Thursday, 23 July 2020 presented the mid-year budget statement to parliament.

As part of the budget presentation, Mr Ofori-Atta announced that the government will extend the free supply of electricity and water for another three months.

Mr Ofori-Atta explained that the government will continue to offer “subsidised electricity consumption for the people and for businesses, large and small, by 50 per cent to 4 million (4,086,286) households and nearly 700,000 (686,522) businesses at a cost of GH¢1.02 billion” as was the case from March 2020 for three months.

However, the free supply of water will be limited to “lifeline customers.”

Speaking on the floor of Parliament during the 2020 mid-year budget review on Thursday, 23 July 2020, Mr Ofori-Atta said: “It takes a caring government of the people, and with that, I mean, a Government of all the people, to offer cost-free water to all across the country: representing all domestic and commercial customers in Ghana for three months.”

“It takes a caring government to be for the people and for business, large and small, to choose to subsidise electricity consumption by 50 per cent to 4,086,286 households and 686,522 businesses at a cost of ¢1.02 billion in three months. And we will extend the coverage for lifeline customers for another three months,” he added.

The COV1D-19 pandemic broke out in Ghana in March this year.

President Akufo-Addo announced in April, three months of free electricity and water for consumers, as part of additional measures that were being taken by the government to reduce the impact of the coronavirus in the country.

Reacting to the budget statement, Nana Aba Anamoah, in a tweet on Friday, 24 July 2020, described some of government’s initiatives as “bold.”

She wrote: “It’s encouraging to hear some of the bold initiatives in the mid-year budget”.

“It’ll be to our credit if government can achieve them. In difficult times like these, we must not lose our courage and optimism. We must be bold and confront challenges head-on. We must succeed.”