NBSSI stimulus package: GFD says process was not disability friendly
According to the Federation, many of their members were not able to meet the application deadline due to the cumbersome process.
Nana Ama Asiedu Francisca 
The Ghana Federation of Disability organizations has disclosed that the application process for the business recovery programme, thus Covid 19 stimulus package was not disability friendly and has been nothing but hectic.
The group whose membership is made of nine groups thus, The Ghana Blind Union, Mental Health Society, Ghana National Association of the Deaf, Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism, Ghana Stammering Association, Inclusion Ghana, Sharecare Ghana, Burnt Survivors Association and the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled said they have always been an “afterthought” by successive governments.
The Government of Ghana in 2020 rolled out social interventions in order to cushion citizens in the onset of the virus. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the launch of the program said “the scheme will roll out a soft loan scheme up to GH¢600 million, which will have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period for micro, small and medium scale businesses and is being spearheaded by the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Business & Trade Associations and selected Commercial and Rural Banks across the country."
According to the Federation, many of their members were not able to meet the application deadline due to the cumbersome process. They said specially for persons with visual impairment, the NBSSI website does not have the feature that allows them to apply without assistance and that has been a big challenge.
The Federation says it brought this to the attention of the NBBSI, but the registration was already underway so much could not be done to rectify it.
Article 39 of ACT 715 of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 of Ghana states that “A person or institution which organizes a national, regional or district activity, shall as far as practicable ensure that facilities are made available for the participation in the activity by persons with disability" but to the group, the act seems to be silent as it does not reflect the grounds.
Speaking to Soiree News, the Bono Regional Vice President for the Ghana Federation of Disability (GFD), Sirina Mahamadu said, in order to ensure inclusiveness, they said relevant state agencies should intensify consultations among the federation to identify robust strategies that will cover all facets of the society.
