by Linda Straker
- WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic in March 2020
- Final state of emergency proclamation revoked in April 2022
- Subsector of health received EC$7.14 million of Covid-19-related expenditure
During the first 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of Grenada’s Covid-19-related expenditure was EC$81.23 million, with the greatest allocation going towards Transfers and Social Protection and the least allocation going towards the Health Sector.
In March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Grenada declared a state of emergency within days of the first cases being detected, and the country was shut down with limited movement. By June 2020, there was a gradual opening up of the country until the final state of emergency proclamation was revoked in April 2022.
“The Government of Grenada received financial and other in-kind support from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, St George’s University, the Pan-American Health Organisation, several regional and international governments, and private donors in Grenada and in the Diaspora,” said the summary report which is publicly available on the Ministry of Finance website and dated May 2023.
Explaining that the expenditures for the years 2020 and 2021 are unaudited, the 2-page report said that the figures are based on records from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, the Grenada Development Bank, the Grenada Small Business Development Fund, and the Covid-19 Economic Support Secretariat.
While there is no breakdown of direct allocations, under Transfer and Social Protection which received EC$38.13 million, the sub-sectors were Temporary payroll support for hospitality and tourism sectors, and income support to the transportation sector and other hospitality-based businesses); Income support for informal sector workers; A temporary unemployment benefit programme; Support to expand the Young Entrepreneur Programme and expansion of the SEED Programme.
The second highest allocation was in the area of Credit Support to Businesses, and the Government disbursed EC$ 28.70 million in that category. The subsectors were Small Hotel Lending Facility (adjusted) and Small Business Lending Facility (expanded), both administered by the Grenada Development Bank; Covid-19 support Fund Facility for MSMEs, and the Small Hoteliers’ Facility Restructured Small Business Development Fund.
The third highest allocation was the area classified as subsidies, and that covered Price support for farmers, tax deferral and household electricity bills. According to the report, government disbursement in that subsector was EC$7.26 million. The subsector of health received EC$7.14 million, and it covered the cost of Personal Protective Equipment or PPEs, screening and testing equipment and gear, ventilators, and premises for quarantine, retrofitting of buildings and public education campaigns.
