Blockchain-powered government: Bawumia presents master plan to combat corruption

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

With the increasing incorporation of digitalization into the delivery of government services and everyday life, along with plans to adopt the highest levels of data security, Ghana is on track to become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa and one of the few. in the world, announced Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.

“We are going to adopt blockchain technology for the government to ensure that all data and transactions in the government space are transparent and tamper-proof; no one can change them. Therefore, ours could well become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa”. the Vice President stated in Accra on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

Dr Bawumia signaled a brighter and more secure digital future for Ghana when he delivered a keynote address at the 14th Commonwealth Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa held in Accra. According to the organizers, the conference will be attended by representatives of 20 African countries, as well as global anti-corruption organizations.

“Approximately 99% of all government agencies (1,507 out of 1,517) have been onboarded to the government’s digital platform, Ghana.gov, with the remaining 1% to be completed by the end of the year,” Dr. Bawumia said, adding, “Almost all government services can be accessed electronically, and payment is also made electronically, cashless. Ghana.gov has raised GHC 201 billion for the government so far. In the past, a portion of this revenue would have ended up in Individual pockets, but computers do not demand or accept bribes, therefore, digitization has plugged leaks in government revenue by eliminating corruption involved in cash transactions.

“For Ghana, our next stage in the journey towards digitalization is to complete the integration of our databases through the X-Road integration infrastructure, as was done in other countries such as Estonia. We will then apply blockchain technology to the entire government, for the rapid and immutable identification of modifications in digital data and smart devices.

“We are moving towards blockchain technology because it makes it possible to discover each and every change made to digital data, no matter how small, no matter who – we will find them immediately.

“So blockchain pretty much blocks corruption, and that’s where we’re headed, so that every transaction across the entire government space can be tracked and traced, and this is a very effective tool.

“Our goal is to make Ghana the first blockchain-powered government in Africa and one of the few in the world. We believe we can be the first in Africa to do so,” he stated.

Vice President Bawumia lamented the devastating effect of corruption in Africa, with experts estimating that the continent has lost at least US$1 trillion ($1 trillion) in the past five years due to corruption and illicit financial flows, while a significant percentage of people who have contact with a public official will pay a bribe or will be asked to do so.

“Corruption is costing us a huge amount of money and depriving us of the lives we deserve,” he said, calling for more investment in acquiring digital tools to fight the corruption ecosystem as a whole.

While highlighting the significant progress made in Ghana’s fight against corruption, including the issuance of a single identity card and address to all Ghanaians and foreigners residing in Ghana, Vice President Bawumia called on African governments to make an effort deliberate to invest comprehensively in acquiring the necessary information. tools to fight cross-border crime and corruption.

“The next stage in the fight against corruption in an era of sophisticated AI-based cybercrime is for anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to invest in digital forensics and tools that allow our various countries to trace , track and alter all the value of corruption. It is time for anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to acquire customized security operations centers aimed at combating corruption networks.

“In Ghana, by digitizing processes for accessing public services and minimizing human interface along the chain, we can and are reducing opportunities to demand and collect bribes in the public sector. Once again , by digitizing payments for public services, we can and are reducing the incidence of revenue leakages and, finally, by implementing appropriate digital platforms and systems, we can and are beginning to disrupt the networks that work together to facilitate acts of corruption and distribute them.

“My charge to all of us is to take advantage of all this to track, trace and disrupt the entire value chain of corruption and give our continent a fighting chance against poverty and underdevelopment. It is my hope that together we will continue to defeat corruption in Africa in all its forms.”