The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has denied that Kotoka International Airport’s (KIA) E-Gate technology cost taxpayers $240 million, calling the assertions false.
The controversy started when a private company, Margins ID Systems Application Ltd, was chosen to work on the project and allegations of corruption surfaced.
In a Wednesday, December 18 media interview, Governs Kwame Agbodza, the minority chief whip, denounced the agreement as a “create, loot, and share” scam.
Concerned about the system’s alleged $147 million cost, Mr. Agbodza questioned how much it would cost in comparison to the $250 million allocated for the construction of Terminal 3 airport.
GIS stated that the assertions were false and gave comprehensive details on the project’s cost breakdown in a statement released on Thursday, December 19.
The E-Gate technology, according to GIS, is a component of a larger border management project called “Immigration 360,” which aims to completely automate passenger processing at 48 authorized entry and exit locations.
The project tackles issues with interoperability, sovereignty, and technical inefficiencies in current systems.
GIS shares the following figures:
- Total Project Cost: $94.6 million for the implementation of Immigration 360.
- KIA E-Gate System: $5.5 million, of which the 15 E-Gate units cost $1.7 million.
- 10-Year Cycle Cost: $240 million, covering periodic upgrades, maintenance, and licensing fees.
“The $240 million includes two periodic wholesale upgrades of critical system components and maintenance costs over the 10-year cycle, ensuring operational efficiency and the delivery of a refreshed system at the end of the term,” GIS stated.
GIS stressed that Margins ID Systems Application Ltd, a Ghanaian business, is providing pre-financing for the project, with repayments to be made from the money produced from the system’s use.
International systems like INTERPOL’s Stop/Watch List and local databases like the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and National Identification System (NIS) are easily integrated with the system.
In order to improve security and ease trade, it also offers features like personal identity systems and enhanced passenger information.
GIS Press Release Below:
Source: newsthemegh.com