Government committed to formalise the economy through digitalisation
Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications, Friday said, the Ghana Post Global Positioning System (GPS) application rolled out by Government, forms part of the process of integrating the national digital ecosystem to formalise the economy.
She said the digital addressing system was to ensure effective and smooth delivery of public services to Ghanaians and to help in weeding out criminal elements in the society.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful made these remarks at a media conference in Accra, to respond to some criticisms following the launch of the Ghana Post GPS application on October 18, this year.
The launch of the application has raised criticisms from a section of the public on the security of users’ bio-data, the procurement process and many other concerns.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful noted that, the new addressing system was part of an entire ecosystem that the country was developing, saying; “It is a critical component in a digital economy to identify businesses and properties properly”.
She said the government would be harmonising other database of state institutions into the National Identification System, which would serve as the Central Point for both public and private institutions, to facilitate the formalisation of the economy.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful mentioned some public institutions that would benefit from the Central Database as the National Health Insurance Authority, the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, Births and Deaths Registry, among others.
She said the coming into operation of the digital addressing system would assist the utility service providers to easily locate businesses and properties, which would help in revenue collection processes.
She cited Peru, saying: “After the economy was formalised, forty new banks were created, which brought employment to many people and that is why the government is committed to building a formalised economy through proper addressing system”.
The Sector Minister reiterated government’s commitment to digitally connect the country’s economy, and that, the Ghana Post GPS and the National Identification Project were key elements to help in that process.
She urged the public to help in enhancing the process towards the formalisation of the economy through the digital address system by approaching the Ministry with constructive criticisms for a better system.
Source: GNA