The Deputy Minister of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen has revealed that government has apportioned some GH¢80million to fund the payment of 50% allowance on the salaries of frontline healthcare workers as part of the COVID-19 Alleviation Plan (CAP).
He made this known while justifying the late payment of salaries to frontline healthcare workers. Speaking on behalf of the Finance Minister on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Boahen emphasized that his outfit has nothing to do with the delay, rather, the Ministry of Health’s inability to submit data that clearly identifies frontline health workers.
The Deputy Minister reiterated that, “in March 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced incentive packages for the health sector as part of COVID-19 pandemic preparedness, readiness and response actions, including the special allowance of 50% on their basic salaries to designated workers.”
He went on to say that, “the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance are together compiling the data and doing the necessary reconciliation specially to determine the particular healthcare workers who are eligible or are designated as frontline workers, and hence eligible for this package. This exercise is still ongoing, and as soon as it is completed the payment will start.”
Mr. Boahen further assured the safety of the incentive package. “I want to reassure the House that adequate provision has been made for this incentive package within the COVID-19 Alleviation Plan. In fact, we have put aside an amount of approximately GH¢80million for this package.”
In effort to appreciate the work of the frontline health workers, President Akuffo-Addo in his 13th address to the nation on the pandemic last Sunday, extended incentive packages for health workers from three months to six months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In recognition of their efforts, I announced during my 5th address to the nation on Sunday 5th April 2020 an incentive package to motivate and express appreciation to all health workers for the months of April, May and June. I am happy to announce that I have decided to extend the incentive package for all health workers by another three months.”
The president stated that the incentives are to laud health workers for their commitment in the fight against the pandemic and motivate them to do more.
“This means that all health workers will pay no income taxes for the next three months – i.e., July, August and September. Again, all frontline health workers, as defined by the Ministry of Health, will continue to receive the additional allowance of 50% on their basic salaries per month – i.e., for July, August and September, the president said.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho Central, Benjamin Kpodo who questioned the Deputy Minister on the floor, told the media in an interview that the Finance Ministry’s defence about the delay in payment of salaries is unacceptable. Mr. Kpodo wonders why for about a month, frontline health workers cannot be identified.
“This money is available from the Ghana Stabilisation Fund which they have already drawn down, and it cannot be that since April we cannot identify frontline healthcare workers – some of whom as a result of their frontline position in assisting to treat Covid-19 patients have themselves contracted the virus,” he said.
