Ghana is position herself to take advantage of Fourth Industrial Revolution - Bawumia

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reiterated Government’s commitment to leverage on technology to formalise the Ghanaian economy and ensure greater technological integration in every aspect of life.

He noted that technology was leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution and it was important the country prepared herself to take advantage of it or be left behind.

Vice President Bawumia said this at the opening ceremony of “The Future of Work in Sub-Saharan Africa” Conference, organised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and government of Ghana, in Accra.

The meeting attracted policy-makers, officials from the IMF, Ministers of State, development partners and the Diplomatic Community.

“We’re very aware of the fourth Industrial Revolution. We’re trying to position Ghana to take advantage of it. We think that the disruptiveness, on balance, would be quite positive for us, if we position ourselves properly, to take advantage of what is happening” the Vice President stated.

“The issuance of a National ID Card, implementation of a National Digital Property Addressing System; completion of the Financial Inclusion Triangle, which allows seamless movement of funds from mobile wallets, bank accounts and e-switch cards; digitisation of the Drivers’ Licence and passport acquisition process; and the implementation of a paperless system at the ports, among others, are all part of the ways Government is positioning Ghana, Vice President Bawumia emphasised.

Government would also adapt innovative technologies from other countries to suit the unique demands of Ghanaians, making it possible to enjoy greater benefits from technology.

“By the second Quarter of 2019, we will be joining Rwanda in using drones to deliver critical medical products, blood products, emergency vaccines, life- saving and essential medicines on demand regardless of terrain or road infrastructure.”

Earlier, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Mrs Christine Lagarde, urged governments in Sub-Saharan Africa to prepare for the expected population explosion in the next twenty years by harnessing the power of technology to meet the employment needs of their youth.

She commended innovative solutions such as Ghana’s Farmerline, which is helping farmers farm more and earn more on their produce; Kenya’s M-Pesa which has helped with mobile money transactions, and Rwanda’s Zipline, which uses drones to deliver blood and medical supplies to remote health facilities in a timely manner.