Government rolls out e-Gates project at ports

Ms Owusu-Ekuful passing through one of the gates to symbolize the official launch of the project

Government has inaugurated another innovative digital programme dubbed, ‘e-gates’ at some major ports of entry in the country.

The initiative forms part of efforts to fully digitize the Ghanaian economy in line with President Akufo-Addo’s e-government vision for the country.

The e-Gates project seeks to boost security and lessen the burden of travelers in Ghana and beyond.

Launched at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Friday in Accra, the entire project covers the headquarters of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), KIA, Tema and Takoradi Ports, three land borders – Paga, Aflao, Elubo, as well as disaster recovery.

Under the project, which is expected to serve about 57 percent of Ghanaians from the onset at KIA alone, there would the implementation of Visa-on-Arrival, electronic payment and reconciliation of all payments received by GIS, state-of-the-art site preparation, installation of a state-of-the-art data center at GIS headquarters, implementation of a disaster recovery system at National Internet Technology Agency (NITA), and the deployment of a secure border management system across the ports.

In a statement to inaugurate the project, Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful indicated that “the e-Gates provide automatic border control solution and ease peak traffic workload for immigration by registered travelers.”

According to her, the e-Gates allow travelers to use their passports to automatically enter and exit Ghana.

“The e-Gate solution will cater for Registered Traveler Programs and for regular passenger processing. This new system will be replacing the PISCES system which only does identification,” she added.

Aviation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, commenting on the importance of the initiative said, “We want to see people going through a seamless arrival process that they will go and sell Ghana outside by saying as soon I landed and went through immigration and it took me five minutes to get my luggage out and everything.”

She therefore urged managers of the various ports to properly maintain the e-Gates.