Vice-President and flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed that the upcoming phase of Ghana’s digitalization journey involves establishing the first blockchain-powered government in Africa to combat corruption.
Blockchain technology has the capability to detect any alterations in digital information, allowing for the tracking of all transactions within the realm of governance. This, he stated, would enhance transparency and empower the government to effectively combat corruption.
The Vice-President made this announcement on Thursday during the 14th Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, held in Accra.
The conference, spanning a week, revolves around the theme: “Strengthening Institutions and Promoting Transparency: A Means of Fighting Corruption in Commonwealth Africa”. It brought together representatives from 20 Commonwealth African countries to discuss strategies for making corruption less appealing on the continent and fostering economic growth.
Dr. Bawumia also highlighted several digital initiatives that the government has put in place since 2017, which have been proving to be highly beneficial for the nation.
The speaker highlighted the success of the ghana.gov portal, which has facilitated electronic payment for public services and has allowed the government to collect GHC201 billion since 2020.
Moreover, the digitalization of passport applications led to a significant increase in applications and revenue for the Passport Office, with applications rising from 347,000 to 752,000 and revenues soaring from GHC12 million to GHC94 million between 2018 and 2023.
Furthermore, the integration of public sector databases using the Ghana Card enabled the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to remove 29,000 ‘ghost’ pensioners from the payroll, resulting in annual savings of GHC480 million for the nation. The implementation of a unique identity card (Ghana Card) helped the government identify and eliminate 44,707 ghost names from the National Service Scheme payroll, saving the nation GHC356 million.
The speaker urged anti-corruption agencies in Africa to invest in digital forensics and tools to enhance their ability to track, trace, and disrupt corruption activities. Additionally, anti-graft institutions in Africa should consider establishing customized security operation centers to better combat corruption networks.
The resident vice-president suggested that Ghana’s battle against corruption could be significantly enhanced with the implementation of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), commonly referred to as the eCedi, by the central bank.
The eCedi will be our ultimate weapon in our fight against corruption because it will make it easy to track the movements of money and identify suspicious activities.
This would also empower the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to guarantee a high degree of transparency and mitigate the risks associated with fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.
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