The President for Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), Mr Peter Bismark, has stated that the government of Ghana requires GHc15 billion to implement a successful total lockdown of the country for 28 days’
According to him, the amount is necessary to sustain the country’s economy and protect the lives of its citizens while movements have been temporarily ceased.

“If it happens like that, it means that registered businesses and firms would have to shut down operations with employees going home, and go with salaries,” he said.

The president of ILAPI said the government would still have to ensure the continuation of salaries of public sector employment and provision of basic needs and other services, including electricity, essential services, water and food.

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Mr Bismark said this in a release from the institute yesterday [25th March 2020].

He also asserted that the informal economy would suffer from the lockdown because of loss of daily sales and income. The sector, he said, may not directly benefit from the emergency financial response but would reduce individual income and purchasing power.

Mr Bismark said the exponential growth of the number of cases is already causing a progressive lockdown.

“With this development, businesses would close and physical activities would cease. Because of inexplicable barriers that the coronavirus crisis brings, people may be prevented from doing useful things for income and wealth creation.”

He stated that in the process, businesses must be compensated and this would call for both critical fiscal and monetary measures.

“With a total lockdown, certain goods and services that people would otherwise buy and enjoy will be off-limit. It does not mean, however, that one would have stopped eating; instead, you make your food at home and due to this Ghanaians may now spend more money on other things,” the ILAPI boss stated.