COVID-19: Government sets up trust fund to support the needy and vulnerable

The Government of Ghana has set up a Trust Fund to harness resources from other sources to complement its efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the needy and the vulnerable who have been afflicted or negative impacted by the pandemic and for related matters.

The Parliament of Ghana passed the COVID-19 National Trust Fund Bill, 2020 into a law on Thursday evening, April 2, 2020 to give legal backing to an invitation by President Akufo-Addo for benevolent individuals and companies to make donations to complement the efforts of government in the fight.

Before the Bill was passed, the President went ahead to inaugurate a management team for the COVID-19 Fund headed by the Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo because some individuals and corporate organizations had already started donating some items and funds to the course.

The Bill was therefore considered under a certificate of urgency to fast track the process after the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs had certified that the Bill was of an urgent nature.

With the exigencies of the times under the COVID-19 pandemic where over 200 confirmed cases have been registered in the country as at March 2, 2020 after the first two cases imported into the country was announced on Friday, March 13, 2020.

The Bill was laid in Parliament by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Miss. Gloria Afua Akuffo on Wednesday night, April 1, 2020 in accordance with Article 106 (3) of the 1992 constitution.

Moving a motion on the Floor of Parliament for the adoption of the Report of the Committee of Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, its Chairman, Ben Abdalla Bandah indicated that following some of the good measures the government has put in place in response to the pandemic, some benevolent individuals and groups have seen the need to support government’s efforts.

“It therefore becomes imperative to establish a Fund to properly receive and manage the donations for the intended objective of complementing Government’s efforts at combating COVID-19 and to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable who have been afflicted or negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Seconding the motion, the Ranking Member on the Committee, Alhaji Inusa Fuseini indicated that even though initially the Committee had wanted to introduce regional balance in the appointment of the Board of Trustees, there was not enough time to do so because of the urgency of the Bill. He craved the indulgence of his colleagues to approve the report and pass the Bill into law.

Alhaji Inusa Fuseini also emphasized that the Fund was suppose to complement the efforts of government and not to take over the responsibility of government and therefore cautioned against the tendency to make the Trust Fund the main source of funding for the fight against the disease.

Source: Clement Akoloh/Businessweekghana.com