Govt Appointees Were Not Forced To Donate To Coronavirus Fund - Eugene Arhin

Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin has quashed claims by some people that all government appointees who agreed to donate 50% of their three months' salary to the Coronavirus Trust Fund were forced to do so.

The Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, ministers of state, senior government officials, presidential staffers and aides at the Presidency all pledged 50 percent of their salaries for the next three months to the COVID-19 Fund.

This gesture came about when President Akufo-Addo after setting up the fund donated his three months salary, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also followed suit.

Mr Arhin says the appointees thought it wise to do same and support the fight against COVID-19 and were not forced to do it.

"Nobody was forced to donate to this COVID-19 fund, we all did this for the best so we believe we just have to manage for the next 3 months".

The Fund is to be managed by an eight-member independent Board of Trustees led by former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo.

So far, the government has received significant offers of assistance from individuals and institutions, with many others expressing the eagerness to contribute to the Fund.

The Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited and the Africa World Airlines Limited (AWA) Sunday, March 29, presented 200,000 dollars to support government's efforts.

The Kwadaso branch of the Ghana Baptist Convention also, on Sunday, presented a cheque for 100,000 Ghana cedis to government.