The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has announced an extension of the free water and electricity provided by the government in the peak of the fight against coronavirus.
He said the extension is by another three months.
Mr Ofori-Atta made this known in his mid-year budget review presentation in Parliament on Thursday, July 23.
In an effort to ease the Covid-19 burden on Ghanaians and local businesses, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, April 5 announced the absorption of water bills for all Ghanaians for April, May and June.
He followed up three days later with the absorption of electricity bills for all lifeline consumers while those who consume beyond the lifeline as well as industries had their total monthly bills halved.
The Minister of Energy, John-Peter Amewu, estimated the total cost of government’s expenditure covering this at GH¢1 billion.
Delivering the mid-year budget review, Mr Ofori-Atta noted that government has decided to extend this as a result of President Akufo-Addo’s concern for the ordinary citizens.
He said so far utilities have become cheaper “in both nominal and real terms than what they were before 2017”.
“Mr. Speaker, the reason is simple,” he observed. “It is because we put the concerns and aspirations of the ordinary Ghanaian first.
“That is also why we further reduced electricity prices by half and completely provided potable water for free for everybody since March this year. And we will extend it for another 3 months.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana