E-Services Platform and Ghana.gov are not the same – Ursula Owusu debunks NDC claims

In response to recent assertions made by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the digitalization efforts of the current administration, the Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has debunked claims that the Akufo-Addo administration altered the e-Services.gov.gh platform established by the erstwhile Mahama administration to ghana.gov.gh.

Addressing the media as part of a series of updates in her sector on Sunday, February 18, 2024, the Ablekuma West MP emphasized that the e-Services Platform and Ghana.gov are distinct entities, refuting allegations made by the opposition NDC.

“The e-Services platform was deployed in 2012 under the e-Ghana project as a pilot to produce an e-Government Portal to provide relevant government services to citizens and businesses. It had a services component and a payment component.”

“The e-Services platform was developed by Messes IPMC at a total cost of about US$547,000 and was then integrated with an e-Payment platform in 2014 to enable online payment for transactions. The ePayment Platform was developed by Messrs AYA Technologies at a total cost of US$267,000. This was exclusive of annual software licensing fees,” the Minister stated distinguishing the two platforms.

The Minister highlighted the distinct features and functionalities of Ghana.gov, emphasizing its role in providing a centralized platform for accessing government services online.

She said one distinctive feature is the Ghana.gov platform helps the government in its revenue mobilization efforts stating that the platform has generated an amount of GHS 210 billion since it was introduced.

She underscored the efforts undertaken by the current administration to streamline digital services and improve efficiency in service delivery reiterating the government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that no citizen is left behind in the quest for digital transformation.

Hon. Owusu-Ekuful emphasized the importance of accurate information dissemination and urged the media and the public to scrutinize claims made by political actors regarding digitalization initiatives critically.