Bright Simons Demands Answers Over Alleged Govt Links to New Digital Payments Platform

 

Policy analyst and Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has raised a series of pointed questions to the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, over what he describes as unanswered concerns surrounding a little-known digital payments platform operating under the name Transactly.

In a message shared on X ( formerly twitter) and addressed to the Minister, Simons questioned the legitimacy, background, and approval processes behind the platform, which reportedly hosts several agencies under the Communications Ministry on its portal and is seen displaying Ghana’s Coat of Arms.

Questions Over Authorisation and Use of State Symbols

Simons asked the Minister to clarify reports that he may have played a role in Transactly receiving permission to use the Ghana Coat of Arms on its platform.
He demanded to know whether the entity’s use of national symbols had been officially approved or whether the matter amounted to potential brand or intellectual property infringement.

Concerns About Connections and Procurement Transparency

The policy analyst further questioned whether the platform is operated by individuals “close to people who are close to” the Minister, raising issues about transparency, conflict of interest, and political influence in Ghana’s digital services space.

Simons also asked the Minister to publicly confirm whether:

• any contracts have been awarded to Transactly,
• any agencies under the Ministry have formally partnered with the entity, and
• public funds have been committed or the government is financially exposed in any way.

His questions reflect rising concerns over politically connected companies allegedly entering the digital services market with strategic advantages unavailable to ordinary private firms.

Comparisons With Ghana.gov and Digital Duplication Fears

Another major issue raised was whether Transactly represents yet another attempt to introduce a large-scale digitalisation scheme despite ongoing investments in existing platforms such as Ghana.gov, which already provides online payment and service channels for government agencies.

Simons pressed the Minister on how Transactly’s functions differ from the government’s flagship digital services portal, asking whether the new scheme risks duplicating systems, wasting public resources, and creating confusion within the digital services ecosystem.

Call for Clarity on How the Entity Was Selected

Simons questioned how a “rather unknown and young entity” came to receive access to multiple government agencies, asking whether there was a competitive, transparent procurement process or if the onboarding occurred informally.

He argued that while innovation should be encouraged, market fairness and institutional integrity must be protected, warning against politically exposed individuals leveraging state power to influence the digital marketplace.

Background: Rising Scrutiny of Digital Platforms

This latest intervention comes as Ghana’s digital services sector faces increasing scrutiny over procurement, vendor selection, and the growing involvement of politically affiliated entities in national digital infrastructure.

Simons reiterated his support for young innovators but insisted that transparency is essential to maintain trust in the governance of emerging digital systems.

“We all support innovative players in the economy,” he wrote. “What we sometimes have an issue with is how politically exposed people get involved in the marketplace and use power to override the normal functioning of the market.”