Members of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) have praised President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Government for its sterling leadership in the fight against coronavirus in the country.
According to GMWU, the Government of Ghana has demonstrated a sterling leadership in the fight against coronavirus.
General Secretary of GMWU, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, in an address at the Union’s National Executive Council meeting held at Eusbett Hotel, Sunyani, from August 20-21, 2020, recounted that Ghana has since March 12, 2020 when the first case of the pandemic was recorded in the country, experienced its fair share of the socioeconomic impact of the disease.
According to him, “the Ministry of Finance mid-year budget review indicated that, the combined effect of the pandemic is that, Ghana’s overall economic growth and revenue are expected to fall sharply while expenditures are expected to rise.”
He said the economic shock of the pandemic has manifested through external trade disruptions (particularly with China), decline in commodity prices (particularly oil whose prices have fallen by more than half, and tightening of global financial markets.
” COVID-19 has also led to disruption in corporate and general business confidence, with threats to projected revenues, profitability, liquidity and corporate growth. The overall fiscal deficit is projected to increase from the programmed GH¢18.9 billion (4.7% of GDP) to GH¢30.2 billion (7.8% of revised GDP),” he added.
He stated that the primary balance will correspondingly worsen from a surplus of GH¢2,811 billion (0.7% of revised GDP) to a deficit of GH¢5.6 billion (1.4% of GDP).
Expenditures, on the other hand, are expected to increase by GH¢11,788 million (3.1% of revised GDP), reflecting mainly expenditures on COVID-19 Preparedness & Response Plan, provision of Health Infrastructure (Agenda 111), Coronavirus Alleviation Programme etc, he noted.
“As a workers’ organization, we take full notice of Government’s efforts and response to the Covid-19 fight and in our assessment, it has been quite colossal and this is manifested in its varying intervention programmes,” he said.
“Indeed, the government viewed the supply of logistics for the health sector as a first-order priority and provided tonnes of PPEs worth millions of dollars to protect health workers in the fight. Again, in motivating health workers, the government provided a life insurance package for those directly involved in surveillance, case management, laboratory, and all other health and allied personnel who get infected,” he stated.
“To further cushion and incentivize frontline workers, Government waived personal income taxes for 137,000 health workers, offered allowance of 50 percent of basic salary for about 10,000 frontline health workers, and provided them transportation for the duration of the lockdown,” he added.
“Government also temporarily subsidized electricity consumption of the one million lifeline customers and subsidized 50 percent of the consumption of all other customers. This livelihood preservation programme for the 4,086,286 households (and 686,522 businesses) added an unplanned GH¢1.02 billion to Government expenditures. A stimulus package under the CAP Business Support Scheme (CAP BuSS) totaling GH¢600.0 million was designed to specifically support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs),” according to him.
” These among others have been containment measures taken to support citizens and businesses and the economy.”
“Yes, it may be easy to conclude that these are mere responsibilities of a Government to its people and so there is nothing exceptional about these interventions. But I dare ask, isn’t that part of how, as citizens, we believe our taxes ought to be expended for the greater good of society, rather than on the many other corruption scandals that continue to bedevil us, benefit only a few, impoverish the greater majority of the citizenry and drag our country’s development so much backward?”
“Let me therefore on behalf of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union and all its members commend the Government of Ghana for its sterling leadership in this Covid-19 fight so far,” he said.
“Whilst commending Government for its bold response to Covid-19 so far, what is abundantly clear and worth highlighting however is the fact that as a country and a people, we do not contemplate disasters or future eventualities and therefore we do not plan, and even where we have a plan, we are so ineffective at following through these plans,” he stated.
He noted that “Instead, we have the growing penchant and attitude of leaving our destinies to chance hoping that God Almighty will come down from heaven and do it for us or at worse; He will intervene or come to our rescue anytime disaster strikes. Brother Chairperson, whilst we cannot underrate the power of God, we must also remember that hope is and cannot be a strategy and indeed has never proven to be one.”
“This pervasive national lackluster attitude and culture has unfortunately proven time and again to be ineffective, unproductive and therefore not working for us. It is therefore important in our forward march as a country to contemplate and put together plans that include a Comprehensive National Emergency Response Plan whose character is multifaceted and multidisciplinary to respond to future pandemics, disasters and other eventualities.”
National Chairman of GMWU, Mensah Kwarko Gyakari, expressed the hope that “the wide range of issues including making permanent workers redundant and the sad aspect is that later they are employed under fixed contact basis, will attract the attention of government and other stakeholders in order to maintain industrial harmony, which the country needs badly, as we vote in the December general gelection.”
According to him, “It is worrying that at a time gold price is rising, unfortunately some of the companies are thinking of doing away with permanent workers, and tend to give fixed term contract.”
“Is it even fair that gold price is going up and production is also up, and companies want to resort to redundancies? While, we the union leadership will engage managements of the companies, it is important that the government, also look at it.”
” How can mines with more than 20 year life span be allowed to be employing workers on fixed term contract.
On the December elections, I wish to urge members of the GMWU not to engage in any partisan political activities that will tarnish the image of the union. I must reiterate the need for Labour unions to contribute their quota, through civic duties towards peaceful polls, as Ghana need united front to accelerate its development agenda to improve the living standard of Ghanaians,” he said.
By Melvin Tarlue