Source: newsthemegh.com
The government has received GH¢200 billion in revenue from Ghana.gov, a digital platform used by public sector organizations to collect fees.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, made this announcement yesterday in Accra during a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Information.
“Currently, Ghana.gov has facilitated the collection of an impressive sum of GHS 210 Billion. This substantial amount underscores the platform’s pivotal role in streamlining financial transactions, enhancing transparency and bolstering the nation’s fiscal integrity”, minister said.
The Minister claims that GHANA.GOV, the Innovative Digital Services and Payments Platform, is proof of the Nana Addo/Bawumia government’s digitization drive, which modernizes governance and makes it easier for people to access government services.
“Ghana.gov has become a cornerstone of Ghana’s digital transformation journey through its user-friendly interface and comprehensive array of online functionalities,” the she added.
In its three years of existence, 1,507 institutions have joined, according to Mrs. Ursula Owusu.
She contended that this achievement represented the concrete effects of digital innovation on the provision of public services, economic efficiency, and citizen empowerment.
Mrs. Ursula Owusu stated that Ghana.gov has accelerated financial transactions, reduced bureaucratic red tape, and reduced the risk of revenue leakages by leveraging technology to centralize and optimize revenue collection processes. This has effectively addressed the issue of public sector corruption.
“The success of Ghana.gov also underscores the growing trust and confidence of citizens and businesses in digital government platforms.
It reflects a paradigm shift towards digital-first governance, where convenience, accessibility and accountability are prioritised in service delivery”, she reiterated.
She emphasized that this accomplishment provides strong incentive to improve and broaden Ghana.gov’s capabilities.
She did, however, refute the misconception that Ghana.gov and the e-Services Platform are interchangeable.
She claims that the e-Services Platform was implemented in 2012 as a test project for the e-Ghana initiative in order to create an e-government portal that would offer pertinent government services to businesses and citizens.
She emphasized that there were numerous difficulties facing the e-Services. Because of this, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration adopted a sustainable and economical strategy for government online service delivery, which is completely different from previous approaches.
She went on to say that the government had shut down the Ghana E-Services Payment Platform (GEPP) and had partnered with three local technology companies, Hubtel, expressPay, and IT Consortium, to design, develop, implement, and oversee Ghana.gov, an online services platform that serves as the government’s one-stop shop and has an integrated payment gateway.
According to her, this platform acts as a common hub for all online tax collection efforts by the government, making it easy for businesses and citizens to find, use, and pay for services online.
She claimed that this program has the potential to improve service delivery, transform government, and empower people and companies across the country.
The ground-breaking Nationwide E-Government Network, which aims to increase broadband connectivity and foster digital literacy throughout Ghana, was also described by Madam Owusu-Ekuful.