Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice president, has reaffirmed his belief in the crucial part that technology plays in the development of economies in the twenty-first century.
The Vice President, who is credited with leading Ghana's ongoing digital transformation drive, spoke on Monday at the launch of the Ghana Electronic Pharmacy Platform (ePharmacy), Africa's first national-scale ePharmacy, in Accra. He emphasised the importance of the global digital economy and said that nations that do not embrace it will fall behind.
"The data estimates the worth of the global digital economy at $11.5 trillion (15.5 percent of GDP). The value of the world's cocoa market, on the other hand, is S12.6 billion "To support his argument that a developing economy like Ghana must give priority to digitization, Dr. Bawumia remarked.
Some individuals, according to Dr. Bawumia, believe that economic progress can only be attained via the use of physical structures. He disagreed, pointing out that technological advancement and the implementation of systems are also necessary for economic transformation.
"Brick and mortar alone cannot change an economy. An economy can only be transformed by ideas, systems, and institutions. stated Dr. Bawumia.
"We are concentrating on these concepts, systems, and institutions because of this."
Assertions that he has ceased addressing economic difficulties and is just focused on the digitization of the economy were laughed off by the vice president, who added that individuals making these claims are unaware of the close connection between digitalization and contemporary economies.
People may comment that you are not studying economics. However, without the necessary structures and mechanisms, your economy will not be able to function in the 21st century. As we move forward in the 21st century, that is why we are concentrating on developing all of these systems, or digital platforms, the Vice President said, noting that the nation's ongoing digitalization drive has significantly increased efficiency and revenue at some digitalized government agencies and also curbed many corrupt practises.
The fact that the fourth industrial revolution is a digital revolution is what piques our interest in digitalization as a government. By overcoming these problems, digitalization makes life simpler for Ghanaians by reducing bureaucracy and corruption in the delivery of public services, increasing efficiency, lowering the cost of doing business, and utilising modern platforms to solve challenges, "added he.
Despite all of this, according to Dr. Bawumia, "those with the mentality of impossibilities" have cast doubt on each and every digital initiative the government has launched.
People said he was lying when he introduced several of the advances he named, but they have since been put into use and are being used by Ghanaians.
"Many people, however, refuse to grasp how crucial digitization is to our country's economic transition. They will thus ridicule every new invention. They made fun of the mobile money interoperability and the digital address system because they didn't comprehend what we meant when we claimed that when we brought mobile money interoperability, every adult Ghanaian would be having access to a bank account As a result of mobile money interoperability, 90% of adult Ghanaians now have at least one mobile money account or bank account, and as the two are interoperable and essentially function the same, we have successfully attained our aim "ective."
They are unaware that we were able to raise the number of Ghanaians having Tax Identification Numbers from 4% when we cane into the office to 85% thanks to the Ghanacard.
"People laughed at the concept because they couldn't see how the ICAO-certified Ghanacard could be used as a travel document. Today, it is a reality, and members of our diaspora may visit Ghana without a visa by using the Ghanacard."
"When we introduced Ghana Pay, becoming Ghana the first nation in the world to have a bank-wide mobile money wallet, many did not believe it. Typically, mobile money wallets are produced by telecoms.
"People struggled to comprehend how a medical drone delivery service might be utilised to carry life-saving medical goods. They made an effort to persuade people that drones should be used to photograph women in restrooms. Ghana now operates the world's largest drone delivery service.
"Unfortunately, those in positions of authority who seek to move our nation forward must contend with a mindset that only sees obstacles; a mindset that refuses to accept that an African nation like Ghana can achieve its goals.
"This is why I take pleasure in consistently disproving the doubters. They typically accuse him of lying when I claim we are going to accomplish something. When it does, they remain silent. At the end of the day, we must all keep in mind that building and mortar alone cannot change an economy. An economy can only be transformed by ideas, systems, and institutions. not only physical structures."
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