Multi-million dollar e-government data centre at finishing point
An e-government data centre with a capacity of 600 racks to store government and private sector data is scheduled for completion in March 2015, according to the Data Protection Commission.
The multi-million dollar centre, when completed, would integrate the nation’s information system, process, and people with data closely, and improve data exchange and information sharing effectively.
Mr William Tevie, Data Protection Commission member told journalists in Accra that, the project,t which cost $20 million, was about 85 per cent complete and would house all government data, both public and private.
He said this during a visit by the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, to inspect the stages at which government’s on-going projects have reached.
Dr Boamah said the centre, which would also serve as the Ministry of Communication offices, has a backup system at an undisclosed location capable of retrieving all lost data in an emergency situation.
The Minister also inspected a GHC 16 million Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Centre at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle that would provide grade ‘A’ real estate infrastructure for BPO companies.
The Minister said the project would create about 10,000 jobs for the youth as quoted by experts.
He said a lot of persons including students from the Ghana Technology University College have been trained to handle the BPO centre.
The centre is projected to provide leased out spaces for services and serve as a platform for residents to benefit from state-of-the-art telecommunications access, including a link to multiple redundant international fiber optic cable networks.
Refurbishment works is about 70 per cent complete while the entire project is expected to finish on April 2015, according to the contractor Mr Kenneth Anewenah of My Turn Building Contractors.
He however complained about access to the warehouses as a result of delayed relocation by previous tenants and removal of a gas station in the vicinity of the centre which posed a danger to the ongoing project.
Dr Boamah further inspected an e-emigration project being worked on by Gemalto Company at Asylum Down.
The company has already completed 10 e-gates for deployment to the Kotoka International Airport to improve the security situation. It would mainly check illicit drug trafficking and deal with illegal entries to Ghana.
The system has modern security features and is automatically linked through the Interpol and other international security bodies for easy identification and arrest of criminals.
Dr Boamah’s tour ended at the airport area, where he inspected the ultra modern National Communication Authority edifice which is also due for completion in March this year, according to project officials.
Source: GNA