Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has announced an allocation of GH¢220 million as a relief support for the Akosombo dam spillage victims.
The minister, during the presentation of the 2024 budget in Accra, expressed empathy for the families displaced by the spillage, citing a revealing visit to victims in Mepe, Volta Region.
The allocated funds are designated to assist not only those affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage but also victims of floods upstream in the Oti, Savannah, and Bono-East Regions.
Plans for the restoration phase involve further resources from the Ministry of Agriculture and a request for funding from the World Bank to support resettlement, livelihood restoration, compensation, and infrastructure reconstruction in affected areas.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, presenting the 2024 Budget and Economic Policy to Parliament, announced several tax reliefs aimed at addressing diverse economic challenges.
Locally produced sanitary pads will benefit from a zero-rate VAT, accompanied by import duty waivers on raw materials for their manufacture.
This move follows calls from civil society organizations and the public to eliminate taxes on sanitary pads, which were considered contributors to the higher cost of the commodity.
The minister also disclosed other tax measures, including the extension of the zero VAT rate on locally manufactured African prints, waiver of import duties on electric vehicles, and tax exemptions for agricultural machinery.
These initiatives reflect the government’s efforts to stimulate economic sectors, promote sustainability, and provide relief to citizens in the face of economic challenges.
