Artefact dealers demand inclusion in government’s COVID-19 stimulus package

Dealers and makers of artefacts at the Accra Arts Centre have appealed to the government to include them in the stimulus package designed for small enterprises due to the impact of Coronavirus on businesses.

According to them, their businesses have been badly hit since the closure of Ghana’s borders due to the absence of their main target market; foreigners. 

Some of the artists said getting a piece of the government’s  GHS600 million allocation will be the only way of keeping their businesses afloat.   “There have been no customers since the outbreak of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

But we are always here because this is where we belong. Government has announced a stimulus package. They should give us some of the money so that when our businesses go down, we can use it to support ourselves.

Because of our numbers, we need about one billion dollars,” one of them said. Another artist said: “For two months now, I have not seen any customer here so governemnt should come and support us”.

“What we want is that the government should take a cue from other countries so that they can give us a stimulus package. I hear there is a GHS600 million package but it is too small,”

President announces one-billion cedi stimulus package

Government announced a one-billion cedi stimulus package to households and businesses, particularly small and medium scale enterprises, under a Coronavirus Alleviation Programme in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who announced this on Friday, March 27, 2020, in a televised address on enhanced measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Alleviation Programme was to address the disruption in economic activities, the hardship of the people, and to rescue and revitalize the industries.

“The Minister for Finance has been directed by me to prepare, for approval by Parliament, a Coronavirus Alleviation Programme to address the disruption in economic activities, the hardship of our people, and to rescue and revitalize our industries,” the President said.

Government, he said, was also providing additional relief, such as the extension of the tax filing date from April to June; a two percent reduction of interest rates by banks, effective 1st April 2020; and the granting by the banks of a six-month moratorium of principal repayments to entities in the airline and hospitality industries.