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The Local Economies Tracker survey has revealed that localities witnessed an increase in crime during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown period.
The survey indicated that approximately three out of ten communities, representing 34.1 percent, experienced an increase in crime, such as robberies and burglaries.
The Local Economies Tracker survey was conducted by the Ghana Statistics Service (GSS), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in 2,770 communities and localities in the 16 regions of Ghana.
Government statistician Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, who presented the report’s finding, said the rise in crime was followed by an increase in domestic violence, accounting for 3.7 percent and assaults, accounting for 3 , 1 percent in the communities.
He said the Covid-19 restrictions also hit businesses in local communities, with seven to eight out of ten businesses experiencing a reduction in production, accounting for 71.7 percent, and sales, accounting for 89, 7 percent.
“Companies also witnessed a reduction in the labor supply, which represented 36.0 percent and the prices of goods and the cost of credit increased,” he added.
He said that localities in border districts had relatively more structured institutions to support the pandemic.
The Government Statistician said that according to residents of the communities, COVID-19 could contribute to growing inequality in the country.
He said most of the localities in the border districts and others were unsure of the economic recovery from the pandemic with about 45 percent of the localities in closed districts, indicating that the recovery would occur in about a year.
However, he said that the assistance of non-state actors, such as churches and philanthropists, provided significant support to complement the government’s efforts to lessen the impact of the pandemic on communities.
“Without a doubt, Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on households, businesses and the local economy in Ghana,” said Professor Annim.
He said that various people, institutions and government agencies helped localities in different ways, with seven out of ten, representing 71 percent of localities, receiving some form of assistance, including food and personal protective equipment.
He said that in terms of sources of support, more than 50 percent of the localities received assistance from the government and the District Assemblies, with members of Parliament being the largest source of assistance to the communities.
“Notably, many communities received assistance from non-state organizations, particularly churches, who account for 41.5 percent, and philanthropists, who account for 40.8 percent,” he said.
He said the support received by communities of churches and philanthropists was a clear demonstration of how non-state actors had complemented and continue to complement the government’s efforts to ensure that communities better recover from the pandemic.
He said that the results imply that the strengthening of the district assemblies to take initiatives during the clashes, the provision of basic services, the strengthening of social structures, the participation of district security agencies and non-state organizations was necessary.
Professor Annim said the findings show that about 25 percent to 78 percent of localities did not benefit from subsidies for electricity and water.
For electricity, it was because these localities were not connected to the national grid, and for water, it was because they depend on other alternative sources of water.
In terms of recovery, the findings suggest that it may take a longer period for closed districts to fully recover from the pandemic, with nearly two out of five localities reporting that local economies will take more than a year to recover. with a higher proportion of towns in closed districts (in Accra and Kumasi) having worse expectations.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ghana, Silke Hollander, said partnerships like these are key to achieving the SDGs.
He said UNDP was committed to helping and supporting the government to provide information on the impact of the pandemic to address development challenges. “We look forward to a continued partnership with the government,” he said.
