Business News of Friday, 13 December 2019
Source: www.citibusinessnews.com
2019-12-13
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, says government’s efforts to digitize the economy have reduced the rate of corruption that characterizes service delivery systems in Ghana.
He says many institutions that have moved their manual operations onto the digital space have eliminated intermediaries who mostly perpetuate these corrupt acts.
“When you now move to places like the DVLA, the ports, the passport office and others to conduct business you no longer see the ‘goro boys’. This is as a result of the digitization solutions that have been implemented. To further disrupt corrupt behaviour in the public service, we will ensure that by next year all government services are put on one portal.”
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was speaking at the 3rd National Insurance Commission Chairman’s Cocktail.
Digitization in the Insurance sector
Passengers of commercial vehicles will soon be able to check on their phones if the bus they are about to board has been properly insured, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia also disclosed.
If all goes according to plan, the database of the National Insurance Commission (NIC) and the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) will soon be integrated and go live in January 2020 to complete another plank of the Digitisation Agenda of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration as part of efforts to make accessing government services easier and corruption-free.
Speaking at a special National Insurance Commission Cocktail Reception which brought together key players in the insurance sector on Wednesday, 11th December 2019, Vice President Bawumia noted that the insurance industry has very important roles to play in the digitization programmes of government, and since insurance is interwoven with the entire architecture of the economy, it is heart-warming to know that the industry is digitizing its operations.
“After meetings with the DVLA and the National Insurance Commission about creating better synergies between them, it is expected that the Motor Insurance Database will be connected to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) system in January 2020 so that before a vehicle is issued with a roadworthiness certificate, it can be verified whether it has a valid insurance cover from a licensed insurance company.
“The Motor database will also make it possible for the traveling public to verify the authenticity of the insurance policies of commercial vehicles before they board such vehicles.
All you have to do is to enter the number of the car on your phone, even if it is a ‘yam’ phone, and you can tell if the bus you are about to board is properly insured or not. You will know whether you are safe sitting in that car. This certainly brings better awareness and protection for the ordinary Ghanaian.
Vice President Bawumia noted that even though digitization brings significant advantages and opportunities, it also creates vulnerabilities that could be critical and therefore need to be carefully managed. Government, he added, is, therefore, taking several steps to protect the nation’s information infrastructure as part of the digitization programme.
“First of all, appropriate laws have been passed to provide the needed framework for the fight against cyber-criminals. The Electronic Transactions Act and the Electronic Payments Act regulate and protect electronic transactions and payments. The Data Protection Act also protects the private data of government, citizens and businesses in Ghana.
“Secondly, a National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy has been developed to monitor and protect the nation’s cyberspace. Again, the national SIM re-registration exercise scheduled for early 2020 is another initiative to mitigate cyber-crimes committed using mobile phones.”
