Analyst - PAGES

Tuesday, September 29, 2020
The e-government agenda
makes great strides
THE President Nana
akufo-addo admistration
has, since assuming
office in January 2017,
done a lot to digitize
government’s public services and
the activities of the economy as a
whole. The COVId 19 outbreak has
justified this focus and encouraged
it to do more. The BUSINESS aNa-
LYST documents these efforts and
the rationale behind them.
When the incumbent administration
assumed office in January
2017, one of its immediate priorities
was the creation of a digital database
for the efficient delivery of
public services through digital
channels.
Initially, there was considerable
public circumspection about this
initiative, instigated largely by the
political opposition which accused
it of spending too much money on
it when there were more pressing
expenditure needs.
However the new government was
undeterred, keeping its eyes on the ultimate
prize – more efficient, better targeted delivery
of public services and even more importantly,
its ultimate ability to spread its tax net wider
encompassing the hitherto largely ignored
informal sector. Indeed, the game plan was
that the latter would eventually more than
pay for the cost of digitization.
TIN
Today, the state is on the brink of
recouping its costs – the introduction of Tax
Identification Numbers for all taxable
individuals and enterprises, linked to the
ongoing national identification card rollout
and the digital addressing system which was
one of the very first public projects embarked
on, has set the foundation for the extension
of the tax net to virtually every taxable entity,
whether individual or corporate.
Indeed, everything is in place for this to
commence – the delay in implementation is
primarily for political reasons as elections are
around the corner, although government is
understandably loath to admit this.
Positive results
But digitization is already yielding clear
positive results with regards to improved,
better targeted public service delivery.
at the very centre of the administrations
digitization agenda is the National
Identification Card Scheme
. The scheme, which is currently being
implemented at last, in phases, after several
false starts over the past two decades, enables
identification of Ghanaian residents, both
nationals and foreigners, through a unique
number, and is designed to become the
anchor, by integrating with other databases,
for formalizing the economy.
By the middle of this year, over 14 million
people have been registered. Majority of
residents are expected to have been
registered by the end of 2020.
dd
digital address system
But before this, indeed being the first
initiative on the akufo-addo
administration’s digitization agenda was
the National digital address System.
Unlike the Id card initiative which it
inherited from predecessor
administrations, the digital addess
initiative is clearly that of the incumbent
government.
The National digital address System
was launched in 2018. Every property in
Ghana is now identified by a digital
address. Ghana Post, Municipal and district
assemblies, and the Land and Spatial Use
authority, are working together to generate
unique digital and street addresses for every
property, residential and commercial, in
Ghana. This process is scheduled to be
completed in 2020, along with the start of the
process of placing on each property, it’s
unique plated digital and street address
which will be completed in 2021
Integration
Its integration into the National
Emergency Command Centre system is also
enabling emergency services locate people
who need services.
While those two initiatives are the
foundation for the rest of the digital agenda,
plenty more has been done across virtually
every type of public service, with lots more to
come.
The government has been equally busy
everything is
in place for this to
commence “Indeed,
– the delay
in implementation is
primarily for political
reasons as elections
are around the corner,
although government
is understandably
loath to admit this.
facilitating the
introduction and
maintenance of
digital platforms
for products and
services offered by
the private sector,
such as e-
commerce and
digital payment
platforms.
But it is the ones
for provision of
public services that
have had the
biggest effect on the
efficiency of
government itself.
For instance, there is the digital driver’s
licence and vehicle registration by the driver
and Vehicle Licensing authority (dVLa)
which has been fully implemented.
So too has a process for online application
for Passports been fully Implemented
3. a Government Machinery That Works/
NO. PROMISES WHaT WE HaVE
dONE SO FaR
Biggest initiative
But the biggest initiative for private
enterprise has been the introduction of the
Paperless Port System, the brain child of Vice
President dr Mohammudu Bawumia, who
indeed has been the main driving force
behind the incumbent administration’s
ambitious digitalization agenda as a whole.
“We promised to: automate the process
for clearing goods and vehicles, and reform
and benchmark port clearing systems to
make them efficient to support import and
export trade” he enthuses.
“This has been implemented under the
Paperless Port Project under which we have
eliminated the Customs Long Room which
had become a bottleneck, streamlined
inspections, enhanced enforcement, and
resulted in the faster turnaround time in the
clearing of goods.”
a major proportion of the digitalization
effort has indeed gone towards making it
easier to conduct business in Ghana
especially with regards to obtaining requisite
approvals and operating permits from
government regulators.
One such initiative has been the
deployment of a Construction Permit
platform at accra Metropolitan assembly and
Tema Metropolitan assembly to automate
the permit processes at the assembly level.
The system enables citizens submit
permit applications digitally/online and has
helped reduce permit issuance turnaround
time from 90 to 30 days.
Business operating permit
as well as this government has automated
and digitized the Business Operating Permit
(BoP) and license processing, which has been
implemented in 29 MMdas in the Greater
accra Region, resulting in the reduction of
cost and turnaround time
The system has been integrated with the
e-services platform of the Registrar General’s
department and this enables the 29
MMdas identify all new businesses in their
jurisdictions.
a digitised Procurement Platform for the
Public Procurement authority has also been
Implemented which digitises the