Over 32 Million Records In Hard Copy Digitized Under E-Transform Project

A significant injection of funding from the World Bank under the eTransform Ghana Project has accelerated the country’s digitization and connectivity initiatives.

Supported by a US$97 million IDA financing, the eTransform Ghana Project, an Investment Project Financing (IPF), began implementation in January 2015. The project underscores Ghana’s commitment to leveraging technology for improved public service delivery and digital inclusion.

Under Component 2 of the national digital transformation project, key government records have been digitized, and bandwidth availability for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) has been significantly increased.

Approximately 32.69 million records have been digitized in selected government institutions, including the Births and Deaths Registry (13 million records), the Judicial Service of Ghana (4.5 million records), the Registrar General’s Department (9 million records), the Ghana Immigration Service (6.19 million records), among others. This digitization facilitates easy retrieval and proper storage of information.

The connectivity aspect of the project revolutionized how government entities access the internet. Through strategic demand aggregation and long-term agreements with private sector providers, Ghana aims to ensure cost-effective and reliable internet connectivity for essential services like the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Tax Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS). The expansion covered backbone connectivity to 254 district centers, benefiting GRA offices and users of key government systems.

MOCD Upgrades 25 Post Offices

In another similar milestone, significant strides have been made to modernize and expand electronic services (eServices) across the country under the ambit of the World Bank financed project, eTransform with 25 Post Offices undergoing infrastructure upgrades aimed at bolstering their capacity to deliver eServices effectively to citizens.

Simultaneously, another 25 Post Offices were refurbished to serve as dedicated eServices centers.

This initiative forms part of Ghana’s broader strategy to leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) for improving government service delivery and promoting digital inclusion. The upgraded and refurbished Post Offices are strategically located to ensure broader accessibility, especially in underserved communities.

The equipment procured for these upgrades includes state-of-the-art technology designed to facilitate online transactions, electronic communication, and other digital services. These enhancements are expected to streamline administrative processes, improve service efficiency, and offer greater convenience for citizens accessing government services.

The initiative underscores the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization’s commitment to utilizing ICT to bridge digital divides and foster socio-economic development. Beyond enhancing service delivery, the modernized Post Offices aim to support local economic activities by providing easier access to digital platforms for businesses and entrepreneurs.

Supported by the World Bank, the eTransform Project continues to play a pivotal role in the country’s digital transformation journey. It underscores the government’s dedication to building robust digital infrastructure that supports sustainable development and empowers citizens through improved access to digital services.

The project comprises four main components:

1. Enabling environment for e-government and business focusing on policy, regulatory, and institutional capacity building to promote electronic services, support innovation centers, and enhance government data management.
2. National identification system upgrade also aims to develop a robust national e-ID system supporting e-commerce, e-government services, and poverty alleviation, including the digitization and integration of identity verification systems.
3. Application scale-up in priority sectors where ICT would be utilized to improve health and education services and complete key e-applications initiated under the e-Ghana project.
4. Project Management Support also provides coordination, communication, procurement, financial management, and monitoring to ensure effective project implementation.

Through these efforts, Ghana is poised to strengthen its digital infrastructure and accelerate socio-economic growth by harnessing the transformative power of ICT.

The Project Development Objective of the eTransform Ghana Project is to improve the efficiency and coverage of government service delivery using ICT. This initiative has enhanced government processes and expanded internet access across the country, particularly in rural areas.