The director-general in charge of the ICT Directorate of the Ministry of Communications, Dr Sam Somuah, says poor governmental interest over the years has impacted negatively on efforts at establishing a strong e-governance system for the country.

Dr Somuah however insists government is advancing measures to ensure a full takeoff of a strong IT backbone for institutions of state to ensure a smooth flow of information in the country.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, he said the last couple of years have seen increased interest from government in building such a framework.

“The government is putting forward a major effort at putting up connectivity to all government offices throughout the country,” he hinted.

“Connectivity in terms of the ability of each government office to send secure messages from one office to another,” he told SMS host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah.

He however stressed that progress of work has been dogged by a major cultural setback where organisations have a faint interest in improving their IT infrastructure.

Stakeholders in the IT industry have proposed using e-governance to overcome challenges in governance and ensure a smooth information flow in government.

The US is on record to be the leading user of ICT, employing technology across all facets of governance and industry.

There are calls in Ghana to intensify the use of technology, especially by the security agencies, to reduce crime in the country.

President Mills at his investiture in January promised a massive crack down on criminals but IT experts believe employing modern technology such as tracking and surveillance systems will contribute tremendously in that regard.

Dr Somuah also remarked that the civil service in particular must be given the best IT support in the face of suggestions that many civil servants are almost inept at using the computer – some unable to send simple emails.

“We don’t have the kind of enterprise systems that can really make a difference in their operations,” he stressed.

He called on corporate institutions to support government’s efforts to ensure that technology becomes the core of governance in the country.


Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana