The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, under the sponsorship of the Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP), has officially launched the Twin-City Connect, an electronic government platform for service delivery, citizens’ complaints and information sharing. Presenting a general overview of the application, the lead Consultant from LoGig Ghana, Nana Baisie, indicated that the platform has been designed to enable the public to access information and services at a click without having to walk down to the premises of Assembly.

He indicated that features on the interface are easy to use and self-explanatory to enable anyone who has an interest in technology to use it at their convenience to access the Assembly’s services at all times. The Governance and Accountability Officer of the TCSPP, Mr. Abdul Aziz Mahmud, pointed out that the platform went through a co-design process with stakeholders, including the media, traditional authorities, civil society organizations and the business community. He added that an ad hoc team from the stakeholders monitored the work of the consult until the launch. He explained that the programme hopes to add more features to make it friendly to the visually impaired and the deaf people. The Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, Abdul-Mumin Issah, indicated that, in a world driven by technology, cities must adapt to meet the changing needs of their people, adding that the platform is the Assembly’s response to the call to improve the link between the administration and the residents of Sekondi-Takoradi, making services accessible, transparent, and seamless. He intimated that the Twin Cities Connect is not just about digitizing services, but it is about streamlining the operations of the Assembly to reduce bureaucracy, minimize inefficiencies, and make the Assembly more accountable.

He pointed out that the experience that the system brings could only be testified by the people and therefore urged the populace to put the system to use to ensure that the purpose for its creation becomes worthwhile. For his part, the Metro Co-ordinating Director of the Assembly, Mr. Innocent Haligah, pointed out that he has the mandate to monitor the performance of officers by ensuring that they respond swiftly to all requests and complaints. He also reiterated the need for the public to own the programme to reap its benefits. He expressed the hope that the people will put the application to use to make officers accountable for their jobs to give the public the best services they desire.

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