Ghana currently is the second biggest ICT destination in Africa.
He also mentioned mobile phone penetration, which stands at 27 million and is bigger than the national population. That, he explained, was indicative that many people were using more than one sim/ phone.
The President argued that advancement in ICT attested to the fact that the nation was undergoing economic development, especially as one would not have to travel long distances to transact business.
President Mahama was speaking at the joint inauguration of the Northern Regional offices of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the National Communication Authority (NCA) in Tamale last Thursday, as part of his two-day official visit to the region.
The two projects were financed by the government of Ghana.
Fibre Optic Cable Project
He indicated that a 780-kilometre (Km) fibre optic cable, which is being laid in the country, would ensure that every district capital and 200 other communities would be connected to the Internet.
The project passes through Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Volta, Northern , Upper West and Greater Accra regions; so far, 280 km have been completed.
Meanwhile, the National Health Insurance Scheme ( NHIS) is undergoing massive expansion to cover a number of diseases and vulnerable groups. Among them are breast and cervical cancers, mental health and family planning.
NHIS capitation
On the NHIS capitation, the Head of State said the decision to introduce it was born out of a strong determination to sustain the scheme for the future.
In that respect, he urged health professionals to support the implementation process.
The NHIA, President Mahama said, was also establishing claims centres throughout the country to speed up claims processing and payment to service providers.
The Minister of Health, Ms Sherry Ayitey, said the NHIS coverage stood at 9.1 million in 2013 and the figure would rise to 12 million by the end of this year.
She advised the people to register in order to enjoy the benefits of the scheme.
The Minister of Communication, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, said a number of projects were coming on board at his ministry as it moved to strengthen its place in ICT.
Source: Daily Graphic Online
http://graphic.com.gh/technology/16045-ghana-s-ict-penetration-phenomenal-prez.html
