E-governance and citizens patronage in the Effutu municipality

Abstract

Digitization in governance has led to great transformation in government agencies and institutions. Notably, these efforts are very important for the development of one’s country and Ghana is of no exception. The introduction of electronic governance in Ghana, has attracted substantial debate and have served as a field of study for few studies. This incites the researcher’s interest to investigate the level of patronage by citizens in the Effutu municipality in electronic governance. Conceptual model that guided the study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study used a concurrent mixed method research approach to gather data from respondents through interviews and questionnaires. Thematic and descriptive analysis was used as an approach for data analysis and discussion. The relevant literature and findings revealed that language was a problem in the use of e-government systems and applications. Respondents complained about instructions only being in english and if there could be a system where local dailect will be used. Moreso, there should be audio bites in local dialects that will direct users on procedures. Findings from the study also highlights the consciuos effort made by the Municipal Assembly to provide an electronic means to pay property rate. This was through a moblile money number. Officials from various offices believe education on egovernmnet procedures should be in a continum. Hence it is recommended that there should be more sensitization for stakeholders and end users most especially. Studies have revealed that, governance will be more effective when controlled electronically, hence the need for its introduction.