Who should be included in the government’s stimulus package?

On the 5th April 2020, the president of the republic of Ghana His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo gave his 5th address to the nation on the measures his government has taken against the spread of COVID-19. The president in his address to the nation took time to acknowledge and appreciate all frontline actors for putting their lives on the line to help fight the virus. Below is a quote from the president’s address;

“Let me thank, in particular, all our frontline actors who continue to put their lives on the line to help ensure that we defeat the virus. To our healthcare workers, I say a big ayekoo for the continued sacrifices you are making in caring for those infected with the virus, and in caring for the sick in general. You are the heroes and heroines of our generation, and Government will do all in its power to provide you with the relevant tools to do your work effectively. To the men and women of our security services, who have been enforcing the directives, by patrolling our streets day and night, conducting surveillance, snap checks and mounting road blocks, we are deeply in your debt. It is these security measures that have created the basic framework within which our medical personnel are able to pursue contact tracing, testing and treatment of persons with the virus, whose implementation offers us the most secure means to defeat the virus.”

So then who is a frontline actor according to the president’s statement of frontline actors? One can say that every institution that has been excluded from the lockdown due to how essential their services are to the nation has its staff members form part of the frontline actors, be it private or public institution. For instance, health workers, the media, food distribution workers, telecommunication workers, the security service, cleaners of the various hospitals across the country etc.

But unfortunately, only few of the above named frontline actors have been singled out to enjoy the government’s stimulus package announced by the president in his address to the nation. The president, in his address outlined various forms of packages for only health personnel and allied professional who are at the forefront of the fight.

“An insurance package, with an assured sum of three hundred and fifty thousand cedis (GH¢350,000) for each health personnel and allied professional at the forefront of the fight, has been put in place, with a daily allowance of one hundred and fifty cedis (GH¢150) being paid to contact tracers. Government has also decided that all health workers will not pay taxes on their emoluments for the next three months, i.e. April, May and June. Furthermore, all frontline health workers will receive an additional allowance of fifty percent (50%) of their basic salary per month, i.e. for March, April, May and June. The March allowance will be paid alongside that of April. The Ministry of Transport is also making available, for free, ‘Aayalolo’ buses to convey health workers in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Kasoa to and from work, along specific routes, for the entire duration of the restrictions.”

This, though appreciated, sparked up calls for the government’s stimulus package to frontline health personnel to also cover all nurses and midwives across the country.

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives’ Association demanded that all health workers are exposed to the disease and therefore, the allowances should not be restricted to frontline personnel only.

“The initiative is good and we are grateful. But it goes beyond these people. Every nurse or midwife everywhere is exposed. Even to the basic unit which is the CHPS compound, everyone is exposed. So for the stimulus packages that were announced, we are thankful for the tax waivers which we believe will cover all of us. But the bit of allowances is what we wish should cover every one of us because we are all exposed in doing our bits in helping the nation identify to contain and manage [the virus]. We are also grateful for the availability of buses. As a union, we are also helping to assist in this direction,” said the President of the GRNMA.

Just after the GRNMA called for their inclusion to the government’s stimulus package to the frontline health personnel, then there were other health workers like; lab technicians, pharmacists, etc. also calling for their inclusion.

In addition, other institutions are also calling on the government to include their members in the stimulus package to the frontline health workers since their members as well come in contact with people due to the kind of service they provide.

For instance, the media, telecommunication workers, food distribution workers, the security services, i.e. the military, the police, Immigration service, cleaners of the various hospitals across the country. So, the big question is, who should be included in the government’s stimulus package announced by the government in his address to the nation?