A US-based Ghanaian telecommunications technology expert has accused the government of outsourcing aspects of its businesses and services to private entities who are milking the country and its citizens dry of their hard-earned monies when in fact they should be doing this by themselves.
According to Dr Kwaku Abbeam Danso, the current system is so pervasive, it only promotes corruption.
Speaking on Asempa FM show, Abrokyire Nkommo on Tuesday, March 29th, 2022, the senior citizen, Dr Kwaku Danso, could not hide his anger at the systemic bottleneck that Ghanaians go through in their bid to apply for a visa to come to Ghana.
Among the many issues raised by him, Dr Danso also has concerns about the government’s digitization drive, saying conducting businesses online isn’t any easier for Ghanaians and would-be investors to come to Ghana to explore business opportunities.
According to him, he had to postpone his trip to Ghana because he couldn’t fill out a digital form to upload his information to be used in applying for his visa.
In his view, the whole digitization agenda by the government is nothing to write home about as the system does not work, especially for those who use the online platform to apply for a visa to come to Ghana.
Recounting his frustrations, Mr Danso who has lived in the United States of America for over 53 years said it took him close to one year just trying to use the digital platform in applying for a visa.
After much stress in trying to apply for the visa, he said it took a friend, an American, to inform him that there was an agency charging $300 to assist people in applying for the visa, something he discovered after spending close to $1,000 on service charges because he had had to use the mail system as part of the process in getting his visa.
He said he could not understand why authorities from local and municipal assemblies can’t still use technology in collecting property rates and keeping the environment clean.
He particularly made mention of the boundary road at East Legon where he said gutters have been filled with rubbish, something he says the traditional authorities and managers at the various district assemblies must be blamed for as they have reneged on their responsibility at the local level.
Dr. Danso said it should be easier for district assemblies, the Land Commission and traditional authorities who sell lands to private developers and business owners to keep a database of their clients and use that in tracing them to mobilize revenue for the development of the various centers across the country using the rentable square footage system.
Expressing his disappointment at the current system, Dr Danso questioned why leaders who have acquired education from some of the best universities in the world can’t use such knowledge in improving the lives of Ghanaians.
He also blamed entrenched political party partisanship for the underdevelopment of the country because of differences in approach to the development agenda of each government.
He was particularly disappointed that loans taken in the name of developing the country have all been stolen allegedly.
He questioned why after many years of independence, the country can’t process any of its natural resources to create jobs for the teaming youth in the country.
He cited the issue of water challenges confronting the people of Abetifi whose water system was built by the Kwame Nkrumah regime but got damaged in 2004 and has since been left to rot without any government intervention to salvage it.
Dr. Kwaku Danso was among some of the first Africans to be trained in telecommunication technology in the United States some 53 years ago.