Digitalisation has dealt a big blow to corruption—Veep

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says the Government’s conscious efforts to digitalise public sector institutions is helping to curb corruption in the country.

He said, for instance, the Ghana.gov portal, which was created to promote electronic payments for public services had witnessed GHc55.7 million payments since its introduction.

He explained that there was a direct linkage between digitalisation of the various sectors of the economy and how the economy functioned to create jobs for the people and thus, took a swipe at those who criticized him for abandoning the economy to focus on digitalisation.

“Digitalisation has dealt a big blow to corruption, “he said, and assured the Government’s resolve to continue digitalising the remaining sectors of the economy to promote growth and accelerated growth.

Vice President Bawumia made the remarks when he addressed the ‘State of the Economy’ at the Tertiary Students Confederacy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Training and Orientation Conference held at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh in the Central Region.

Dr Bawumia said, for instance, the e-ticking which was piloted during Ghana-Nigeria FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kumasi on March 25 yielded the highest revenue in the country’s sports history with over GHc1.4 million.

He said the e-ticking would soon be extended to all the major stadia in the country, noting that the digitalisation of the economy had increased revenue mobilisation in many sectors.

He expressed the optimism that with sound economic policies and programmes, the economy would bounce back stronger and better after suffering from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He listed some social interventions introduced by the Akufo-Addo administration to cushion Ghanaians in the pandemic, including the lifting the freeze on employment, doubling of the Capitation Grant, expansion of the LEAP and School Feeding programmes, free water, subsidized electricity, and no public sector salary cuts or lay-offs.

Dr Bawumia called on Ghanaians to work hand in hand with the Government to address the present challenges.

“In the midst of the current economic challenges we face, we are putting in place the key pillars for the economic transformation of the country.

“We may not yet be where we want to be, and we may be buffeted by the winds of the pandemic and the war for yet a little while, but we have made a great start and, together, we shall finish what we started,” Dr Bawumia assured.

“We understand your desires for a bright and prosperous future. A future that would have the resilience to better withstand shocks of the nature we are currently experiencing.

He expressed delight about the prospects of the nation and believed that the brilliant minds being nurtured would contribute towards that vision.

“We may not achieve everything we set out to achieve, but that must not stop us from trying. We must celebrate our achievements, big or small, and not seek to tarnish or belittle them for the sake of politics”.

” I look forward to all of you playing a role in making our nation great and strong,” Dr Bawumia stated.