Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is attributing the 103% increase in revenue from gate proceeds at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday to introducing the e-ticketing system.
Soccer fans bought tickets beforehand to access the gates for the Ghana Premier League game between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the surge in gate proceeds justifies the rollout of the e-ticketing system.
The E-ticketing platform, which allows supporters to purchase matchday tickets online, was implemented for the first time in last month’s World Cup playoff qualifier between Ghana and Nigeria at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
However, football fans after that game raised concerns about the efficiency of the online platform, as the system was marred with implementation challenges.
Some supporters during the Ghana-Nigeria clash could not verify tickets bought online, a situation that paved the way for ticket racketeering.
However, on Sunday, Kotoko triumphed over Hearts of Oak; there was a remarkable improvement.
The system was efficient in dealing with the verification challenge, as feared earlier.
This development, coupled with the “103% increase” in revenue from the proceeds, according to the Vice President, indicates that digitisation can be a tool to fight corruption in Ghana.
Dr Bawumia spoke at the launch of the National Youth Volunteers Programme in Kumasi on Monday.
“Yesterday [Sunday], Asante Kotoko played Hearts, and it was the second match where digital tickets were used, and they got the highest revenue in any match between Hearts and Kotoko,” he said.
“In fact, yesterday [Sunday], the increase in revenue was 103% above the last revenue in the last match, so I can tell you, digitisation can fight corruption”.
Asante Kotoko beat Hearts of Oak 1-0 in a Ghana Premier League Week 24 fixture, a match that saw 15,965 spectators in attendance.
