World Bank approves gov’t ICT funds

The World Bank Board of Directors has approved funds to improve service delivery by government using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The Government of Ghana has already made significant investments in communications infrastructure and continues to seek solutions, which leverage the infrastructure to improve government services and extend the reach of such services to all its citizens, in particular the most vulnerable, Yusupha B. Crookes, Country Director for Ghana said.

The project will promote the use of these innovative applications to effectively provide services and jobs, assist in targeting services to the most vulnerable in the society, improve lives and make Ghana competitively placed to participate in the global digital economy.

The funding, a US$97.00 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA), supports eTransform Ghana.

The project is aligned with Government’s own Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) that seeks to contribute to high growth and shared economic opportunities for the poor and to create jobs.

The eTransform Ghana project will support policies, laws and institutional capacity that address an array of issues such as cyber security, consumer protection, and data protection.

Funds will also be used to support software and hardware necessary for developing cloud storage and a back-up facility that will be managed in partnership with the private sector.

Teh funds will also help fund programmes that use innovative technologies to improve the quality and reach of health and education services, improve the country’s digital identity system to help deliver public services more efficiently to intended beneficiaries (safety nets, health insurance, etc.) and increase financial inclusion.

The robust national identification system is based on international standards and will also help prepare Ghana for a modern e-commerce industry while improving e-government services designed for poverty alleviation.

Ghana’s improved economic performance is coming with the unintended challenges of rapid urbanization, and related increase in unemployment, especially among the youth, and increased service divide between urban and rural communities, said Jamal Saghir, Director, Sustainable Development, World Bank Africa Region.