President Nana Akufo-Addo Sunday announced that all frontline health workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic will be paid an additional 50 per cent of their basic salary for March to June 2020.
The March incentive will be added to that of April.
Additionally, all health workers will be exempted from paying taxes on their personal emoluments for the next three months, effective April.
The President announced this, as part of a raft of incentives to cushion citizens against the social and economic impact of the disease, in a national broadcast to update citizens on the implementation of the enhanced measures against the spread of respiratory disease.
He also announced that an insurance package with an assured sum of GHc350,000 had been put in place for each health worker and allied professional, while a daily allowance of GHc150 was being paid to contact tracers.
The Ministry of Transport has made available ‘Aayololo’ buses to convey frontline health workers for free in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi, to and from work, along specific routes for the entire duration of the restrictions on movements in those hotspots.
Other incentives for citizens include the Government’s absorbing of the water bills for all citizens for the next three months, from April .
The Electricity Company of Ghana has also been directed not to disconnect the power supply to any citizen.
“Again, the Ghana Water Company Ltd and the Electricity Company of Ghana have been directed to ensure the stable supply of water and electricity during this period,” the President said.
“All water tankers, publicly and privately-owned, are also going to be mobilised to ensure the supply of water to all vulnerable communities”.
On security, he said more senior security officers had been deployed at the operational level to enforce the restriction of movements in COVID-19 hotspot to enhance command and control.
“I’m fully aware of the disruptions to your lives accessioned by these measures,” the President noted.
“Your personal movements, way of life,the education of your children, your livelihoods, have all been disturbed by these measures.
“These measures, I believe are necessary, if we are to free ourselves permanently of this pestilence”.
Ghana’s confirmed cases for COVID-19 stand at 214 as at Sunday, April 5, with five deaths and three persons fully recovered from the disease.
There are 189 positive cases recorded in the Greater Accra, 12 in Ashanti, 10 in Northern, and one case each in Upper West, Upper East and Eastern regions.
The President explained:”All the measures government has taken are intended to achieve five strategic objectives: Limit and stop the importation of the virus, contain the spread of the virus, provide adequate care to the sick, limit the impact of the virus on social and economic lives of Ghanaians and inspire the expansion of domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance”.
By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
