8 per cent of communities did not benefit from the free water supply by the government
Seventy-eight per cent of communities across the country did not benefit from the free water initiative instituted by the government, as part of efforts to alleviate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on citizens, the Local Economies Tracker by the Ghana Statistical Service and the UNDP has revealed.
While over 78 per cent of communities did not benefit from the free water supply by the government, 25 per cent of the communities which were targeted also did not benefit from the government’s subsidised electricity.
The communities which did not benefit from the subsidised electricity did not do so because there was no electricity connection in those areas.
Also, communities which rely on other alternative sources of water did not benefit from the free water supply by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
The survey also found that crime rates went up in 34.1 per cent of the 2,770 localities sampled.
The cities affected by the lockdown imposed by the government, as part of efforts to curb further spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, saw an increase in crime rate by 47.1 per cent, a survey by the Ghana Statistics revealed.
Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa, therefore, experienced an increase in crime.
According to the survey, crime rate increased by 34.1 per cent out of the 2,770 localities sampled.
The common crimes included burglary and theft, domestic violence and assault.
Also, about 90 per cent of businesses in sales were affected while there were reductions in 72 per cent of local businesses.
There was also an increase in the price of products.
Non-alcoholic beverages and food saw the highest increase in price.