Ghana Statistical Service, UNDP track impact of coronavirus on businesses in Ghana

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has begun tracking businesses to assess the socio-economic impact of covid-19 in Ghana.

The online survey will also assess measures put in place by businesses to mitigate the impacts of covid-19 as well as efforts to build better recovery for businesses and cross border trade.

Results from the survey will inform policy directions in protecting jobs and safeguarding progress of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The findings will also provide insights into keeping the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) alive as a tool to handle future pandemics and protect jobs and businesses especially for youth and women.

Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, called on businesses to participate in the survey to inform policy decisions.

Business owners, Managing Directors or representatives of micro, small and medium scale businesses are being requested click here to participate in the survey.

“I make a clarion call to all apex bodies of businesses in Ghana including Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Business and Trade Associations, Private Enterprise Foundation and National Board for Small Scale Industries and individual businesses to participate in the survey”, Prof. Annim appealed.

He noted that the roll-out of a soft loan scheme of up to 600 million cedis by the government is a direct response to the adverse effects of COVID-19 and its attendant policy interventions.

The loan which is for micro, small and medium scale businesses will have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period.

Acting Resident Representative of UNDP Ghana, Gita Welch, said covid-19 is not only a health problem but also a development crisis with enormous socioeconomic impact.

“…for its assessment, empirical data will be required to ensure that recovery efforts are better directed,” she said.

“This is a growing partnership that we hope will make a difference in providing the much-needed data for policy options and decision making”, she stated

The socioeconomic impact study is part of a broader partnership seeking to strengthen capacities for economic and strategic policy development in response to COVID-19.

The partnership, led by the GSS, includes other government institutions, the UN system in Ghana, development partners, academia and private organizations.

Other interventions of the partnership will include re-engineering SDGs financing architecture to protect jobs and safeguard SDGs progress amidst COVID-19; supporting youth innovations in fighting COVID-19; and building resilience of local economies.

Ghana as at April 8 recorded 313 cases of coronavirus with six deaths.

A number of measures including a partial lockdown have been put in place by government to curb the spread of the virus.