The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has reiterated his dedication to combating corruption through the use of digitalization, should his party secure re-election.
During a meeting with important stakeholders in Bipoa, Afigya Sekyere East, on Wednesday, November 6, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the party’s successes in curbing corruption via technological advancements and pledged to eradicate it in his forthcoming administration.
Digitalization has been incredibly beneficial, especially for the poor, as it removes the need to meet someone in person who might demand a bribe. Now, people can conduct their business directly from their phones without anyone asking for a bribe.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted the importance of digital tools in minimizing human interactions that may result in bribery. He pointed out that a significant illustration of these initiatives has been the detection and elimination of fraudulent names from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) payroll, which has resulted in savings exceeding GHC400 million for the nation.
I realised that ghost workers all shared one issue – they lacked fingerprints. So, I reached out to the Director General of SSNIT, Dr. Ofori, and proposed using the Ghana Card to identify these ghost workers.
He agreed, and once we implemented the system, we identified 29,000 ghost workers on the payroll. We can now confidently say that the ghost worker issue in the public sector payroll is resolved, thanks to the Ghana Card.
Dr. Bawumia assured the citizens of Ghana that, if elected on December 7, his administration would be unwavering in its commitment to utilizing digitalization as a means to eradicate corruption.
