Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cutting the tape to officially open the E-Gates
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The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government yesterday added another feat to its list of achievements.
This was when it commissioned six newly installed electronic gates (E-Gates) at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
This is intended to enhance processing time of passengers’ travelling documents and credentials.
The home-grown technology is a collaboration between the Government of Ghana, through the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Aviation Authority, Ghana Airport Company Limited, and the Margins Group.
Speaking at the ceremony at the arrival hall of the KIA, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Saturday’s general election, said, “The E-Gates would improve border security and management at the airport, land and sea entry points.”
The facility, he said, would also help curb fraud, smuggling and undesirable elements from entering the country.
The E-Gates leverage cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, biometrics and real-time data processing to create a frictionless and secure travel experience.
The new border control system and the E-Gates are designed to benefit a wide range of travellers, including Ghanaians, members of the diaspora and foreign visitors.
By pre-registering biometric data and travel credentials, travellers can bypass traditional queues, which will significantly reduce waiting times.
To that end, travellers’ hours of waiting can now be completed in as little as 15 minutes from landing to the exit points.
“This is a vision that has taken four years to conceptualise, design, build and implement.
“It is a testament to the strength of local expertise and collaboration. This major achievement showcases how home-grown solutions can meet and exceed global standards,” Dr. Bawumia stated.
The Vice President said the government had been focusing on home-grown solutions in implementing digitisation programmes, including the mobile money interoperability, the Ghana national ID system and the Ghana Card.
He said the technology leveraged the comprehensive identity framework integrating biometric data, digital data, addresses and personal identities into a secure platform.
“This framework has transformed service delivery across sectors from health insurance and driver’s licencing to tax identification and patient management,” he stated.
He also talked about the fact that the Ghana Card has also become a critical tool for national security, supporting law enforcement and other agencies.
“Notably, the Ghana Card was recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICOA) headquartered in Montreal, Canada,” he pointed out.
He said it is recognised as a valid E-Passport card and since this recognition, Ghanaians had been able to travel to Ghana across 197 countries and accessing over 44,000 airports worldwide with just the Ghana Card.
“So you can travel from all these 44,000 airports into Ghana with your Ghana Card, because the ICOA system recognised the Ghana Card as an E-Passport document of tax,” he stated.
Building on this foundation, he said, the Ghana Immigration Service, in partnership with the Margins Group, developed an intelligent border control system.
“The culmination of this effort is the E-Gates we unveil today, delivering a much security transparency and efficiency at all entry points, airports, sea points and land borders,” he stressed.
Dr. Bawumia said the global travel landscape was evolving radically, with innovations such as biometric E-Gates and digital travel credentials becoming the new standard.
According to the Vice President, Ghana had embraced those global advancements, integrating biometric verification and digital travel credential technologies into a single platform.
“This dual capability, positions Ghana as a pioneer in intelligent border control, aligning with global standards, while placing us ahead of many advanced countries at the moment,” he said.
With the ability to facilitate E-Vices and a fully digital travel process, he said Ghana was now prepared for the future of border management.
These advancements, according to him, reflects the country’s readiness for the fourth and fifth industrial revolution, ensuring adaptability to future innovations.
On his part, the Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Kwame Asuah Takyi, said the E-Gates would improve efficiency of border management system and modernise the operations of the airport.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
