News:
July 24, 2021
Ministries Departments and Agencies of Government are indebted to National Information Technology Agency (NITA) to the tune of twelve million seven hundred and twenty-two thousand, seven hundred seventeen cedis, sixty-six pesewas (GHc 12,722, 717.66) as at the end of last year.
The Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, who disclosed this in Parliament on Thursday July 22,2021 also indicated that Parliament also owes two hundred and ninety-three thousand, seven hundred and sixty Ghana cedis (GHc293,760.00) and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs owes sixty-seven thousand two hundred Ghana cedis (GHc 67, 200.00)
The Minister told the House NITA also receives services from service providers like Vodafone, MainOne, ECG, Ghana Water Company, American Towers (ATC), to enable it provide services to its clients which are mostly government institutions.
NITA currently owes its suppliers sixteen million nine hundred and seventy-three thousand two hundred and eighty-five Ghana cedis and twenty pesewas (GHC 16, 973, 285.20) as at the end of December 2020, and the breakdown is a as follow.
- Vodafone GHc 3,710,095.92
- ATC GHc 7,395,582.85
- ECG GHc 5,521,750.31
- Ghana Water GHc 345, 856.10
“Mr. Speaker, Vodafone has currently disconnected services to NITA outsider Accra, for nonpayment and this has affected most MMDAs especially those on the GIFMS platform, we have made constant strong case to the finance ministry to find a lasting solution to this perennial problem during every budget preparation process”
Indeed, NITA has constantly suggested that the finance ministry deduct at sources a percentage of all the goods and services budgeted for all MDAs for digital connectivity and services to offset their indebtedness.
And has also made proposals for the establishment of a central fund to pay NITA for data just as MDAs pay for utilities.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com