Digitisation: Transparency International lauds Ghana

Transparency International in its 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) lauded Ghana on its digitisation drive.

The Organization, with a mission to stop corruption and promote transparency, in its CPI report, said digitisation projects had the potential to reduce corruption and accelerate economic development.

It said evidence from the ongoing digitisation projects of the Government of Ghana suggested that automated processes within relevant public institutions, including the Ghana Revenue Authority, had reduced human contacts and was significant to reducing corruption.

It, therefore, urged the Government to extend electronic services to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

It also called for the prioritisation and digitisation of services that were in high demand by citizens.

The CPI, a leading global indicator of public sector corruption, focuses on corruption, democracy and human rights.

According to the CPI report, Ghana failed to make progress in the fight against corruption in the year 2021, maintaining the score of 43 in 2020 for 2021.

Meanwhile, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Trinity Theological Seminary in November 2021, said Ghana was building a new system to underpin the economy that would make for greater transparency, promote accountability and efficiency in every aspect of public interactions.
¨C22C Such a system would minimise incentives to pay bribes and opportunities for corruption in the delivery of public services.¨C23C ¨C24C“It is a system where the operations of government institutions are digitised for efficient service delivery,” the Vice President said, adding that it was a system that was formalising the informal sector.

The Vice President said: “Through digitalisation we have been able to tackle corruption at the: Passport office – online, Ports, GRA – Tax Identification Number is Now the Ghana Card number (4% to 86%), Social Security and National Insurance Trust is now the Ghanacard number, National Health Insurance Scheme number now Ghanacard number, Mobile renewal of NHIS membership, Mobile purchase of electricity credits, Passport being linked to your Ghanacard, Every public sector worker to be uniquely identified by the Ghanacard number – no more double salaries.”

“Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority application now online – a world class service, Motor Insurance Database, Births and Deaths Registry, Scholarship Secretariat, Ghana.Gov Platform – no leakages of government revenue, Mobile Tax Application for filing taxes, National Common Platform for Property Taxation – digital addresses, Digitalization of medical records and networking of hospitals, Mobile Renewal of NHIS registration, Drone delivery of medical supplies to remote areas,” he added.

Applying those enablers, Dr Bawumia said, would innovate many areas of the country’s economic activities.