IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

So far indications from the Ministry of Communications are that the government has initiated moves to award the western corridor contract come the first quarter of 2015.

The Project, which is a Public-Private Partnership between GCNet, Ministry of Communications, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Registrar General's Department ((RGD), and National Information Technology Agency, will roll out efficient collection of revenue and equitable distribution of the tax burden, ensure greater transparency and integrity and accountability to government for the professional management of taxes.

He said the national blueprint would fast-track the development, application and integration of science, technology and innovation (STI) into the national development strategy for accelerated growth.

Dr Ahmed was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on the sideline of the African Forum on STI for Youth Employment, Human Capital Development and Inclusive Growth, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Disclosing this Wednesday March 7, 2012 in Accra at a roundtable discussion organised by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), stated; “We will be doing our registration in 40 days and we do not expect to go far beyond 12 million”.

The EC Chairman said the projection is based on figures so far received from the Statistical Service of Ghana on Ghana’s last census conducted in 2010.

Ghana Dot Com (GDC), the current manager of the .gh domain namespace, is to begin the process of transfer of the management of the namespace to Government.

This is in line with the Electronic Transaction Act 2008 (ACT 772) which empowers the Minister of Communications to hold the name space and manage it in trust for the people of Ghana.

Mr. William Tevie, Director General ofthe National Information Technology Agency (NITA), disclosed this to about 500 participants drawn from various MMDAs at a conferenceyesterday at the Alisa Hotel here in the capital city of Accra. “It is in this light that NITA has invited you here to show you what services are available and to discuss the proposed pricing for these services before billing begins from 1st April, 2012,” said Tevie.

The exercise aims to ensure that biometric machines have been properly evaluated before the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

The machines will be used to verify voter identity before a voter is provided with a paper ballot, and is the first time biometrics will be used in a Ghana election.

The move forms part of an agreement which it has signed with China's Huawei Technologies to implement the second phase of Ghana's e-Government network which is expected to witness the roll-out of 30 more Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), bringing NITA's total stations to 60 across the country.

The move is to seek the opinion of all on how to develop a regulatory framework that will promote the financial inclusion of all, especially the unbanked population.

In an address, the Minister for Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, explained that the MPS is a new and emerging business opportunity and thus Ghanaians need to create an enabling and robust regulatory framework that will define the relationship between the financial, telecom and the private sectors.

The award winning project known as Tradenet (Esoko) was developed by Busy Internet, a Ghana based Internet solution provider, and it is the largest SMS based MIS project in Africa. It won an award in the e-Inclusion and Participation category.

He said the country was ready to draw the expertise of Italy in social, political, economic and Information Communication Technology (ICT) to help move the Ghana forward.

Dr Boamah said this when the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Tullio Gumah paid a courtesy call on him on Tuesday in Accra.

The project will see the establishment of a Microsoft eGovernment Centre designed to facilitate professional and organisational capacity building within the government.

This objective will kick-start a roll-out of eGovernment initiatives across the country.

In 2007, UK firm Tullow Oil announced the discovery of about 600 million barrels of offshore light oil in Ghana - the biggest recent oil discovery in Africa.

But the country must develop new ways of interacting with its citizens and be more open to the public on activities within the oil industry to avoid conflict, said Akua Appiah-Akuramaa from the Geological Survey Department of Ghana. She was speaking at the 5th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training - eLearning Africa 2010 - held in Zambia last month (26-28 May).

This policy direction would be a bench mark policy to help West African country's to regulate the licensing of operators towards the growth of each country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

He made this remarks at the opening of the E-Governance Academy in Accra, yesterday, adding that Ghana is excited to be the host as this will give 'us the opportunity to enhance the creation of good governance.'

He spoke as the Twelfth Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, entering its penultimate day in Accra, Ghana, held a round table on "Harnessing knowledge and technology for development", in which they weighed strategies to put the current information and communications technology boom at the service of poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

This is to ensure that users can access information and materials, including books online whilst the mobile library scheme would afford the rural population the opportunity to have access to ICT, the Internet and e-books.

Thus, in 2003, J H Mensah, as Senior Minister and in charge of public sector reform, remarked, "After five years of reform and experimentation … the public services have not enhanced their ability to deliver services.

The minister said this when he opened the maiden two-day General Meeting of the Africa E-Governance Academy (AEA). The academy, jointly established by the Open Society Institute of West Africa (OSIWA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to develop and transfer knowledge and expertise concerning e-governance in West African countries as well as in Mauritania and Chad.