The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is confident that Ghana's comprehensive mastery of digital innovation in its public space will create jobs and remain a key driver of economic growth.
He believes that with the capacity for digital transformation essential to unlock new levels of efficiency, transparency and accountability within our public institutions, the exploitation of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, analytics data and blockchain, can streamline bureaucratic processes, improve decision-making and improve the overall efficiency of government operations.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the 11th Annual Conference of Board Chairmen, Chief Directors and General Managers of the Ghana Public Services held on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at the Rock City Hotel , Kwahu Nkwatia.
As Ghana commits to investing in digital infrastructure and connectivity, bridging the digital divide and ensuring that every Ghanaian has access to affordable and reliable internet services, by expanding broadband coverage, promoting programs digital literacy and supporting the development of local content and applications. , Ghana can empower its citizens to fully participate in the digital economy and reap the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
It is for this reason, President Akufo-Addo noted, that I am particularly pleased that during my tenure, my government has embarked on an unprecedented program of digitalization of the operational processes of Ghana's public services, a process which are being championed by the Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the NPP's excellent candidate for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, and by the grace of God, the next President of Ghana.
Apart from the exemplary efforts of Vice President Bawumia, President Akufo-Addo also commended the Senior Presidential Advisor, Hon Yaw Osafo Maafo, “for working with the Public Service Commission and other state agencies, to digitize the process leading to the acquisition and renewal of services such as passports, driving licenses, birth and death registrations, national identity cards i.e. Ghana cards, national insurance cards illness and all other Ghana Revenue Authority tax documents in record time and from the comfort of your home, office and even remote locations. “
He described the benefits that digitalization brings to citizens in terms of flexibility, convenience and cost management as essential and enormous, hence the need for public service organizations “to improve our services through transformation digital, so that we can provide an unrivaled customer experience to users of the Services.”
“My government’s vision is to reposition Ghana’s public sector, embrace this digital transformation for greater efficiency, because it is a clear pathway through which our economy can become stronger and more robust,” he said. -he adds.
He charged them to use this opportunity to call on all board chairmen, chief directors and chief executive officers of public services in Ghana, to welcome and initiate actions aimed at mainstreaming the digitalization of business processes in public services.
“Two or three years ago, the coalition of external forces, in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the effects of Russian aggression in Ukraine put our economy in considerable difficulty. We had to to the International Monetary Fund”, to repair our public financing in the short term and restore our balance of payments, while continuing to work on the medium and long term structural changes that are at the heart of our goal of building a Ghanaian economy. developed and resilient,” he stressed.
Since then, he continued, “our country’s economy has turned a corner and, in the words of the IMF Mission Chief for Ghana, “the worst is over for Ghana.” By maintaining macroeconomic stability, ensuring debt sustainability and laying the foundations for faster and more inclusive growth, we strive to restore the confidence of domestic and international investors in the economy,” he said. -he continued.