Bawumia launches user-friendly Ghana CitizenApp to facilitate govt services

A comprehensive digital platform to consolidate public services into a single, user-friendly application and also centralise interactions between the government and citizens has been launched in Accra.

Known as the CitizenApp, the platform will also provide citizens and residents of Ghana a seamless and unified avenue to access government services.

It also seeks to enhance efficiency and convenience by eliminating multiple platforms, and build trust in government services through robust security and transparent communication.

The CitizenApp could, for instance, be used to pay utility bills, make payment for local assembly tolls and charges, including market and parking fees, get digital addresses for locations across the country, track, book and pay for intercity transport, and change of name after marriage, all on a mobile device.

The app, which is an initiative of the government, was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).

It is a single sign-on authentication where citizens only need one login for all government services.

All one needs to do is to log in with a Ghana Card number to access the app.

Citizen engagement

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who launched the app in Accra yesterday, asked the people to embrace the app and take full advantage of it since it was a new era of citizen engagement, which would only be successful as the people used it.

He also urged users to share feedback because “we want you to feel a sense of ownership in this national project, and your input will help us make a more powerful tool for all citizens”.

Dr Bawumia said the government had since 2017, set the country on a digital transformation journey towards a brighter and more efficient future for all.

He said some government agencies operated under traditional and manual processes across critical sectors, which often led to inefficiencies, delays and bottlenecks in service delivery.

The NPP presidential candidate also said that there was minimal investment in building the digital infrastructure necessary to support widespread transformation at the time, while technology was viewed more as an add-on rather than a core element of national economic strategy.

“Indeed, many people have even questioned why an economist Vice-President would often become the forebearer of the various digitalisation efforts of the government.

“As the world enters the fourth industrial revolution, it has become obvious that no economic strategy can succeed without a strong digital foundation,” he said.

Consequences

Dr Bawumia said not fast-tracking government business would not only hurt the economy, but also create space for inefficiencies, and in some cases widespread petty corruption.

Furthermore, he said, rural areas and underserved communities suffered the most under the analogue system and were often excluded from the limited services that were concentrated in more urban communities.

“Under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we have made digitalisation a central pillar of our economic strategy, recognising that the fourth industrial revolution is already happening, and it is reshaping the global landscape.

Digital ecosystem

The Minister of Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam, also said there was the need to empower every citizen, irrespective of their economic standing or geographical location in the new digital ecosystem.

He said the app would serve as a more dynamic and responsive system in the management of revenue streams, budgeting and fiscal planning that would align with the needs of the people.

The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ms Julie Essiam, also said that the technology would enable them to improve on their revenue streams.

For his part, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Richard Okyere-Fosu, said the introduction of the app was a major step forward, and commended various stakeholders for their effective collaboration in the initiative.