Gov’t spent GH¢54.3 million on free meals during lockdown – Finance Minister

Emmanuel Ayamga 16:12 - 23 July 2020

Ken Ofori-Atta: Gov’t spent GH¢54.3 million on free meals during lockdown

The Finance Minister has disclosed that the <a href="https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/no-more-free-food-after-lifting-of-lockdown-oppong-nkrumah/ljp75js">food packs distributed by the government </a>to the poor and vulnerable during the COVID-19 lockdown period cost GH¢54.3 million.

Ken Ofori-Atta said an additional GH¢50.2 million was transferred to 400,000 beneficiaries under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.

It would be recalled that government started the distribution of free meals to thousands of Ghanaians in locked-down areas amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ken Ofori-Attta

The distribution of “food packages and hot meals” was to lessen the burden on poor households for the three-week lockdown period.

Delivering the mid-year budget review in Parliament today, the Finance Minister said over 470,000 families were fed during lockdown.

“In collaboration with Faith-Based Organizations, Government also distributed dry food packages to about 470,000 families. Let me extend my deepest gratitude to the Faith-based organisations for this unique partnership with Government and may the Lord count this as righteousness for the FBOs and Government,” Mr. Ofori-Atta said.

"Mr Speaker, the support to households, in terms of supply of dry food packs and hot cooked meals cost Government GH¢54.3 million to enable them mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

“This was in addition to an amount of GH¢50.2 million transferred to the 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme,” he added.