Gov’t Quotes US$100million As Cost For PPE Supplies To Schools

The Akufo-Addo government is claiming that it cost a whopping US$100million to supply nose masks and sanitizers to schools around the country as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the jaw-dropping price tag does not include the actual cost of COVID-19 treatment for students.

Mr. Bright Simons, Vice President in charge of Research at IMANI Ghana, made the revelation in a post on social media platform, Twitter. 

“I also learnt that masks & sanitizers for students 2 stay in school cost the Gov’t $100million,” he tweeted.

It is not clear what the breakdown of the supposed mammoth spending on masks and sanitizers alone is, but the item has been captured in the mid-year budget review for 2021. 

The supposed expenditure is in spite of the fact that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana has received millions in PPE donations, including from the Chinese billionaire owner of Alibaba, Jack Ma.

The Akufo-Addo government has so far not properly accounted for some Ghc1.7billion that it claimed to have spent on its first response to the pandemic in 2020.

Meanwhile, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government claims it spent GHS 401 million or $ 70 million to assist the EC and NIA staff with sanitizers, nose masks and Veronica buckets for registration.