Tap n’ Go: Govt is taking credit for an initiative championed by the private sector – Bright Simons

Bright Simons, a Vice President of IMANI Africa, has criticized Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over the Tap and Go Transport Service (Tap n’ Go) system, which the vice president recently launched.

According to Simons, Bawumia presented the ‘Tap n’ Go’ system as if it was a government initiative to improve the transportation system in the country, but it is actually a private-sector-led initiative.

Mr Simons highlighted that the system is a clear example of a private-sector project being portrayed as a government initiative, despite the government not being in charge of it.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ NewsFile programme on Saturday, February 24, 2024, Bright Simons emphasized the need for transparency in government communications regarding such projects.

“… Tap n’ Go is a very good example, unfortunately, of the fears that we have around the state enchantment phenomenon. And by state enchantment, we mean situations where private companies, private benefits, private gain is dressed up as if they are public. And then because of that fact, these private gains are procured with public costs or with public investments. And the justification is that they are going to lead to national transformation.

“Our problem is that it was not presented as… some private company putting a solution out there and then the government may be saying that we support all kinds of private initiatives. This has been presented as a national transformation project based on which important concessions have been made,” he said.

Simon pointed out that the ‘Tap n’ Go’ system was initially proposed to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), with plans for its implementation supported by the government.

He further clarified that the GPRTU was not involved in the ‘Tap n’ Go’ system launched by Dr. Bawumia, as it was developed by three primary private companies that would profit from its operation.

“When Tap n’ Go was presented to the country, it was said to be a GPRTU initiative backed by the government… because GPRTU, even though it’s an association of private organizations, has a strategic understanding with the government in setting prizes for public transport, this was seen as a public transport initiative.

“So, the way that it was presented was that the public transport of Ghana, the one that most people benefit from, the trotros, the Metro Mass Transit and these various incarnations – STC and the rest of it, are all going to be transformed using a platform that was primarily a public initiative. Then we discover eventually that the GPRTU actually has no stake in the project. They are not strategic partners in that sense,” he said.

He added, “They don’t own anything in the Transport for Ghana Consortium that has been set up to run this. And even worse, the industrial relations manager then comes out and says that they were not consulted in the design of the program.”

The IMANI vice president also highlighted significant concerns regarding the project’s implementation, notably the access to Ghanaian data by the private entities involved.

He further mentioned that one of the companies participating in the project has faced allegations of serious procurement breaches in the Agenda 111 project.