Ghana’s national digital services portal, Ghana.Gov, operated for years without a formal contract under the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, despite monthly payments amounting to tens of millions of cedis to private companies, according to a senior government official.
Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George disclosed the findings on Friday during a Government Accountability Series event in Accra. He characterized the arrangement as a significant breach of public procurement and financial management regulations.
“The Ghana.Gov platform has run under the previous administration without a contract,” George said. “Millions—tens of millions—of Ghana cedis were being paid every month to companies without any binding agreement in place.”
The digital portal, launched during the Akufo-Addo era as a one-stop hub for accessing government services and making payments online, is a key component of Ghana’s broader digital transformation agenda. But the absence of formal legal structures surrounding its operation has raised serious concerns, George said.
In response, the current administration under President John Mahama has halted all payments connected to the platform. “Since President Mahama came into office, not a pesewa has been paid on that,” George added. “We cannot keep paying for a project that has no contract.”
The Ministry is now redesigning the Ghana.Gov platform, with a relaunch expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. The revised portal is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and will follow competitive procurement procedures. Clearance is currently being sought from the Public Procurement Authority to initiate a public tender.
Officials say the relaunch is part of a broader effort to reinforce transparency and restore public trust in digital government systems. The revamped Ghana.Gov portal is expected to operate under a proper legal and financial framework, providing a more secure and accountable platform for public service delivery.
