Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has indicated the coronavirus pandemic afforded an opportunity to establish policies intended to encourage the expansion of domestic industries and reduce imports.

According to him, the domestic production of personal protective equipment (PPEs) has jump-started Ghana Beyond Aid efforts.

Speaking during a video interview with the Oxford Business Group (OBG), the Vice President explained, “In a sense, COVID-19, in some paradoxical way, has jump-started our ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ mission. It has allowed us to be more self-reliant and we have now, by way of policy, through this whole experience said government procurement should be very much directed, when possible, to the local industries. We’re seeing a good response and that is going to drive our policy going forward.”

He added that Ghana’s progress in digitalisation had also proved beneficial when the coronavirus pandemic emerged.

“The pandemic has facilitated the implementation of innovative public health solutions that even included the use of drones, while also providing citizens with access to key government services online and allowing many of them to work from home,” he added.