‘Technology Will Reduce the Leakages in Government’

• ‘Technology Will Reduce the Leakages in Government’

The Vice Chairman, Xpress Payment Solutions Limited, Dr. Awa Ibrahim, has said the deployment of technology will play a key role in reducing the leakages in government revenues.

Ibrahim, who disclosed this in Lagos, at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) 1st Accounting Technology Summit with the theme: ‘Disruptive Technologies: The Game Changer for Businesses,’ said if government was committed to reducing the leakages, it is necessary to block such loopholes through technology.

“When you deploy technology, such as real time, and online reporting, the leakages will be greatly reduced. For instance, if you pay money to government account in the bank, as you are paying the money, someone in the office is looking at it and monitoring it, then the money is entering into government account, therefore there is no chance for someone to take out of it.

“The process is highly sustainable. If I open the portable here you can see it in real time as money is money is going into the account,” he noted.

He also stated that there was need for government to create an online interactive portal which helps to drive seamless transaction.
Ibrahim, explained that the states that have deployed technology should be commended, adding that some states have been using technology for the past 10 years, while others have been using it 14 years ago and sustained it.

He said challenges faced by states in deploying technology are infrastructure and the human capital, “because information and communication technology is something that is relatively very new.”

He added: “For the interactive portal, there must be a time on your platform or computer such that when you open it, the interactive portal promotes seamless transaction.

“The states that have deployed technology should be commended. Some states have been doing it for the past 10 years, some for the past 14 years and they are still sustaining it.

“Only very few states are not using technology now. The challenges faced by states in deploying technology are infrastructure and the human capital aspect because Information and Communication technology (ICT) is something that is relatively very new.

“The internet started 25-30 years ago. In a developing country, when anything is new, it takes time for people to adapt, so we are still in a learning process. Presently, there is serious shortage of manpower in ICT. However, we will manage with what we have until there is an improvement in the human capital level.”

It was also learnt from the event how the deployment of technology would help states governments grow their Internal Generated Revenues (IGR) and improve the lives of the citizenry.