I invested heavily in digital facilities- Mahama

The 2024 flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, says his government made several investments in infrastructure for the digitalisation of the Ghanaian society.

The Former President, in a meeting with Fintech Industry last Friday, emphasised Ghana’s position to capitalise on the emerging Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR), powered by 5G technology.

“We laid massive fibre optic telecommunication infrastructure for fixed broadband and provided adequate power supply to drive Ghana’s new economy. To ensure workers in underserved communities were not left behind, my government invested US$37 million into Distance Education ICT Facilities for all the then ten (10) Regional Distance Education Centres”, he explained.

Sharing a few of his achievements in providing digital infrastructure with the industry players, he said “A 900 km rural fibre network that runs through five (5) regions, twenty (20) districts and over one hundred and twenty (120) communities from the south to the Upper East Region.

“An additional 300 km radius metro fibre network with the capacity to offer Wi-Fi and other ICT services to the public and institutions, a state owned 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network anchored by 119 base stations across the country, on which the GOTA phone runs.”

Mr Mahama further disclosed that his government established the largest and most modern Tier 3 – six hundred (600) Rackspace Data Centre in West Africa, with a forty-five (45) Rackspace backup facility at the KNUST, among others.

These achievements, Mr Mahama noted, were “part of a broader framework to accelerate inclusive economic growth, unlike others, their approach to promoting digitalisation is not about sheer political messaging and hidden motives.”

While emphasising on their investments in the digital infrastructure, he agreed that digital technology is rapidly changing the employment landscape in some countries and generating jobs that demand specific digital skills.

Mr. Mahama emphasised that the digital technology ecosystem also has a solid role to play in driving the 24-hour economy initiative.

“This initiative is a deliberate policy intervention developed to encourage and support businesses and companies to operate 24/7, in a three-shift system of 8 hours each. It will create an enabling environment that promotes productivity, competiveness and well-paying jobs for the youth.”

The politician also reinstated that digital infrastructure levels offered the social and economic opportunities across genders, social and economic classes, and for persons living with disabilities.

This, he revealed, is why the next NDC administration intends to build the capacities of the youth including all vulnerable people and expand opportunities in the knowledge and ICT-based economy.

He promised that his administration would empower the youth to compete for high-tech, higher-paying jobs and take advantage of increasing opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.

The former President asserted that his party is driven by the desire to foster genuine progress and cooperation for the benefit of the good people of Ghana and businesses including all technology firms.

He revealed that his administration would partner Fintechs and all stakeholders to meet the needs of Ghanaians through the fifth Industrial Revolution powered by 5G.He further assured them that the next NDC government would improve the regulatory and supervisory environment to encourage active participation and healthy competition among diverse players within the fintech ecosystem.

On the licensing of the fintech industries, Mr. Mahama indicated that there shall be no political colourisation in the process, adding that “Your licence as a fintech is a badge of approval that permits you to provide a regulated service trusted by the public, and it should be cherished.”

He acknowledged that the cost of compliance are too heavy on entities whose platforms provide services that cut across different regulatory jurisdictions, such as insurance, payments, pension, savings, credit, and investment.