We must address digitisation challenges – Dr Adarkwa
The Former Chief Director of the Ministry of Communication and Digitisation (MoCD), Dr Kwaku Ofosu Adarkwa, says there is the need for Ghana to address all challenges and obstacles associated with digitisation.
This, he said, would help the country fully achieve its digitalisation agenda which had been drum home on various platforms by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
Dr Adarkwa was speaking at a public lecture organised by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association Ghana (CLOGSAG) on the theme “Digitisation in the Civil Service of Ghana: An Agenda for Improved Productivity and Service Delivery”.
It also formed part of series of activities outlined by CLOGSAG to mark the 4th edition of the Civil Service Week Celebration and Awards Ceremony.
According to Dr Adarkwa, Digitisation and Digitalisation were two different terms saying “Digitisation is the move from physical format to a digital system while digitalisation is the leveraging of digitisation to improve production.”
Moreover, the former Chief Director explained that the combination of the two led todigital transformation which he defined as “the impact of digitisation and digitalisation on the citizenry”.
However, Dr Adarkwa said the country’s aim of achieving digital transformation could be hampered due to challenges such as connectivity, data, inadequate infrastructure and resource, adequate bandwidth among other things.
He, therefore, urged the government through its agencies such as National Communication Authority (NCA) and the MoCDto formulate policies on digitalisation such as data protection to help improve the service delivery at the civil service and reduce redundancy.
Dr Adarkwa also stressed on the need for the civil service to collaborate with the private sector in its operations as this would help the civil service tap into the digital knowledge of the private sector for improved service delivery.
While advocating for the inclusion of People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) into the digital transformation and rewarding innovation, Dr Adarkwa urged civil servants to support the cause.
The President of the Association of Industries (AGI), Dr Humphrey AyimDarkeemphasised the role played by the private sector in the digital transformation, adding that it was committed to assisting the civil service in its operations.
He noted that the absence of a clear policy formation and regulation for digitalisation had given rise to monopolisation of the system, which posed a security threat to the country and therefore urged the government to take expedite action in addressing it.
Dr Darke further said the use of digital platforms by institutions such as the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was vital in the country’s development, while asserting that the delay by formulating regulations could affect local investment.
For his part, the Deputy Minister of MoCD, MrsAmaPomaaBoateng, explained that the government was committed to ensuring that civil servants benefited from digital transformation, while adding that issues with regard to the SIM Registration and block chain technology were currently being discussed at Parliament.
She added that MoCD would continue to partner with other agencies to help improve the digital skills of civil servants while revising some of its policies.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY & LINDA COFFIE
