Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says government intends to make Ghana a functional digital economy by 2021.

According to him, the government will do this by integrating the National ID card with passports, SSNIT card, Tax Identification Numbers, DVLA, Bank accounts, SIM cards/Mobile money accounts, among others. This he says will allow transactions to be made with the Ghana Card.

Speaking at the Bawumia Speaks Lecture Series held at the Cedi Conference Hall, the University of Ghana, the Vice President indicated that the digital integration has already begun with the integration of the Ghana card with the NHIS card.

“A few days ago, together with the NHIA, I launched the integration of the GhanaCard with the National Health Insurance cards,” he said.

He added that, “From next year, your TIN Number or SSNIT number will be your National ID number. We will also link the Ghanacard with the Births and Deaths registry so that the National ID number will be issued to every child from birth.”

The Vice President explained that the integration of the databases that will occur next year “will bring a lot of discipline and efficiency into our economy and society and also drive down bank interest rates and help law enforcement track down criminals.”

According to him, this could not be achieved without the able leadership and vision of President Akufo-Addo. He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to give the President four more years.

“It is really exciting when you think about it. We are going to have a new Ghana. A digitised Ghana. Again, none of these things happened by accident. We planned it, and executed it. It took leadership,” he said.