In 2012, the The World Bank signed an agreement with Ghana to work on a “eTransform” project. The Bank will provide $97 million to help digitize government services and improve connectivity.
12 years later and with the project nearing its end, has it really yielded results?
About the eTransform project
The eTransform project in Ghana is a comprehensive initiative aimed at leveraging information technologies to improve public service operations and promote digital inclusion.
The aim of the project was to improve the targeting of government resources, improve the efficiency and coverage of priority government services, and promote entrepreneurship and job creation through ICT-enabled entrepreneurship.
Some of the elements of the project included:
- Unique electronic identification systems
- innovative applications to improve service delivery in health, education, judicial and parliamentary services
- development of internet and computer networks throughout Ghana
Grants were provided to young entrepreneurs, with technological hubs such as Ghana Tech LabThe Innovation Hub Ghana in Accra, and the Kumasi Business Incubator in Kumasi enhancing entrepreneurial skills for over 11,000 youth.
By The Numbers
The original eTransform Ghana project was approved in 2012 with a Commitment of $97 million from the World Bank.
In 2020, the World Bank agreed to provide one an additional $115 million in funding. Overall, the project is estimated to have a total funding amount of 212 million US dollars.
Failures, challenges and little real-world impact
The eTransform project has faced implementation challenges and there have been reports of the effectiveness of some of the projects that have been launched.
The Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) it began in April 2019 and was expected to save the government about $10 million each year. However, in one report by Bright Simmonsthere was a report that found hundreds of entries for less than $1 and many records missing prize amounts.
The $20 million e-immigration system not fully developed 6 years after expected launch. However, the Vice President recently stated that one element of the project, namely e-Gates, will be developed at the end of 2024.
Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) was to provide information on the performance of the system and the impact on financial management in the country.
The system was to improve the management of public funds and strengthen financial accountability within the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country.
Reports from the Auditor General of Ghana stated that more than 86% of government payments intended to be covered by the system have bypassed it, rendering it ineffective.
![](https://techlabari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2023-12-18-at-8.35.21-AM-1024x500-1.png)
![](https://techlabari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2023-12-18-at-8.35.21-AM-1024x500-1.png)
The $97 million e-Justice project was launched in 2019 to eliminate the manual process of assigning cases to judges, which was to be done electronically.
However, according to our research, many of the processes are still done manually, five years after the platform was launched.
According to World Bank documents, Phase 2 of the project has been canceled due to the risk of not being completed by the project end date.
The digitization of the General Registry Department (now Office of Registered Companies (ORC)) appears to be at a standstill as it appears that the digital implementation has not progressed as expected.
![](https://techlabari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-10-230406.png)
![](https://techlabari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-10-230406.png)
Reallocation of funds for the eTransform project
In a press conference last year, the outgoing Director of the World Bank, Frank Pierre Laportehe stated that unused project funds allocated to Ghana would be sent back to Washington DC.
The E-Transform project is scheduled to be completed in June 2024, and the funds to be used for the project are at risk of being returned to Washington for other uses.
What happens next?
Currently, the eTransform project is expected to be completed by the end of June 2024, unless extended. But with the issues discussed above, did the project achieve its overall goal? Or has it wasted a lot of potential?
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