Ghana’s Energy Minister John Peter Amewu, has announced that the provision of free electricity supply by the government to cushion the effects of coronavirus on Ghanaians will cost $181.82 million (about 1 billion Cedis).
Amewu told a news conference on Thursday in Accra that the government had negotiated with power producers and distributors such as the Volta River Authority (VRA), Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO) and Electricity Company of Ghana for the implementation of the policy.
He said that the government was using the March electricity bill as the baseline for customers, who consume 0-50 kilowatt of power per hour would enjoy it free from April to June across the country, adding that an estimated 4.5 million customers are going enjoy such freebie from the government.
The Minister explained that customers, who consume 50 kilowatt per hour would pay 50% of the bill from April to June.
Ghanaians are also enjoying free water supply for the same period with high hope that the pandemic would vanish by June.
The government is also providing free items to the poor in lockdown areas, but the initiative has been tainted with politics as a section of the public has accused some government officials of asking people’s party cards before they would be given food items.
Speaking at the same press briefing, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said that about 50,719 Covid-19 cases had been tested and that 641 confirmed cases were recorded with 83 recoveries and 8 deaths.
He called on Ghanaians to observe the social distancing and restriction of movements’ orders to help curtail the spread of the virus.
DAP/GIK/APA