The coronavirus pandemic has brought on depredation throughout the globe. It has shaken the foundations of human lifestyle and slice a swathe as a result of almost all sectors of the economic system. And just like numerous economies, Ghana is not immune from the considerably achieving effects of COVID-19.
Hospitals are stretched, schools continue to be shut and financial pursuits have slipped into the sluggish lane. Despite the debilitating affect, nevertheless, COVID-19 presents the possibility for sweeping cross-sectional reforms for economies like Ghana that when implemented will improve the national financial system and improve the lives of citizens.
Theoretically, we understood our prolonged-standing financial worries. What COVID-19 has accomplished is to expose us to the sensible dimensions of these issues and how we can tackle them. We have outlined numerous of these steps under:
On health, we have been uncovered to the myriad of challenges in the health sector, such as inadequate protecting products and wellness facilities. We are plainly much better off fundraising 100 million pounds to strengthen our health care amenities than we will at any time be finding the same for a cathedral, and we applaud the government coming to its senses and prioritising financial commitment in the health sector to promote high quality and equitable wellness care shipping and delivery throughout Ghana’s numerous districts.
As soon as there is an improved wellness sector, there will be no have to have for governing administration functionaries to seek out medical care abroad. Really serious focus must also be provided to clinical study in the nation. We need to have more experts than we need to have lawyers.
On instruction, we have been exposed to the significant technological gaps, as well as the extensive instructional inequalities between poor/incapacity groups and the wealthy. Not prolonged back, universities themselves laughed at the thought of on-line training and put in no suggest amount of money setting up massive lecture halls and halls of home.
The Ministry of Education should really place a premium on investing in know-how these types of as E-finding out and length studying infrastructure, and deliver tax-cost-free facts sim playing cards for all learners of tertiary establishments to accessibility their studying experiences. Implementation of inclusive education in Ghana should really be prioritised with sustainable funding.
On social safety and welfare, we have witnessed the deep-cracked challenges that confront the sector. There is the will need to resource and retool the Ministry of Gender and Social Defense and the Departments of Social Welfare throughout the nation. Robust social safety and welfare units need to be created to offer enough aid for the bad, the vulnerable and the unemployed in Ghana.
On the setting, we have realised that smog induced by visitors fumes, as nicely as sound pollution can be lessened to verify weather change and advertise environmental regeneration. COVID-19 has been a fantastic checker of climate transform. We can motivate teleworking exactly where applicable in this regard to lessen vehicular motion, in addition to mitigating hefty website traffic on the streets.
On tradition, we have discovered the important job area languages participate in in the country’s growth. The community languages are roundly regarded as the most efficient medium of achieving citizens and advertising greater awareness and knowing about COVID-19 and its related preventive actions and intervening providers. It is not sufficient to inspire the reading through of regional languages in basic and secondary educational institutions if English stays the official language in all official degrees of engagements.
On trade and field, all importation of standard items these as protecting devices, toiletries, tooth select between other folks can cease instantly. We have realised that indigenous businesses can meet up with higher good quality requirements and ability requires. This will market job creation, increase living criteria and strengthen the national economic climate.
No local community in Ghana really should at any time cry for drinking water. If not COVID-19, quite a few Ghanaians did not know that our safety companies like the Ghana Police Services experienced water tankers that could source water to the remotest communities that absence access to safe and sound, conveniently offered water. We require to significantly digitize our utility businesses so that no a single desires queue at ECG seller stores manned by folks without a teaspoon of shopper assistance treatment in their hearts.
And we indicate digitisation by seasoned technological corporations, not some Jack-Where by-Are-You apologies of celebration affiliates creating software package off low cost open up knowledge and passing that all over as innovation. We want to be equipped to pay drinking water and electrical power costs simply, and there is no need to have for utility brokers to arrive to our households to upset our canines when technologies can examine h2o intake and monthly bill appropriately.
On source mobilisation, we have realised that is achievable to make funds locally to have out advancement initiatives, presented domestic organisations and individuals have believe in in the authorities that the resources will be utilised judiciously. There is for that reason, hope for Ghana Beyond Support if governments can justify the ‘financial faith’ citizens have reposed in them.
On media, we have found that our media articles can be enhanced by concentrating on heightening awareness and supporting to deal with critical social challenges. There is the need to have to roll again the serious monotonous hubbub of politicians and their social commentators who often see black as white and vice versa.
On politics, COVID-19 has previously upended the basis of human everyday living and economies, compelling numerous organisations to halt their usual actions, restructure and adopt modern steps to keep on being appropriate and make an impact. In the same way, we want to restructure the organisation of our nationwide elections and to make way for safer, highly technological methods of voting. Lining up in extended queues is not the only way citizens can solid their votes.
Suitable stakeholders can maintain an olive department to dialogue and agree on new and safe and sound means to fulfil constitutional specifications without having endangering life. Many will cite constitutional crises, but in our watch, the constitution should really not be dealt with as an ossified document which can’t be amended even if parts have overstayed their relevance. COVID-19 delivers us with the special chance to do a sober reflection on our political activism.
On faith, we have this 1 option to minimize out charlatans from employing religion as a instrument to steal from the masses and as a license to apply head-boggling human legal rights abuses. Considering the fact that no religion can yet assert a overcome for this virus, we have to have to end religious leaders from peddling substances that they declare have healing properties. Particularly need to we safeguard the silence we have enjoyed around the earlier couple of months from the cacophony, the bedlam of sound that go to spiritual solutions? We unquestionably should really not convey that back, and when that occurs, communities should get stands and sue church buildings for all they are truly worth.
To attain all these nonetheless, we need to expunge and exterminate the extensive-standing economic enemy and the Frankenstein Monster of Ghanaian corruption and mismanagement of general public assets. All corruption-associated actions really should stop with quick impact and assets transfused into advancement tasks very important for financial advancement.
We are worried that any endeavor to create the economic system devoid of first tackling corruption which is endemic and pervasive in Ghana will be rendered nugatory.
