Five IT companies form consortium

Five leading Ghanaian Technology companies have formed a consortium to pool resources to facilitate the implementation of the Ghana National Identity Card project locally.

The consortium, which would operate under the corporate name, Ghana Identification Company Limited, would use the complementary corporate resources of members to create internal capacity to handle what would be the largest IT- project to be undertaken by the Government.

A statement issued in Accra on Sunday and jointly signed by Eric Akrofi, Chief Executive Officer of Third Rail and Moses Baiden of Margins ID Systems

Limited, said the strategic goals of the partnership were to make the project the basis for strengthening and expanding the local IT industry, increasing employment and safeguarding national security interests.

According to the statement, the absence of appropriate local capacity had meant that previous major IT projects in the country were wholly undertaken by foreign companies with minimal local input, denying the country the practical benefits of technology transfer and direct project experience.

"With the consortium Ghana commands the internal capacity to execute the project and is poised to set a refreshing pace," the statement said.

It said apart from employment generation for the country's technical staff, the companies would also upgrade critical skills and experience in large IT project implementation, which could become a reference point for the country. The consortium expressed the hope that well over 500 technical jobs could be created in three years.

The proposed Ghana ID Card Project would create an up to date population database, social security and credit management facility of all Ghanaians. Members of the consortium include Margins ID Systems Limited, Third Rail Limited, Sambus Company Limited, SOFT Company Limited and BlueCchip Company Limited.