The Republic of Ghana has withdrawn from negotiations on a new multi-million-dollar development compact with the US. The breakdown follows a deadlock over US demands for "unfettered access" to Ghana’s national biometric databases as a prerequisite for the aid. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated on Tuesday (Apr 28), confirming that the talks, which were part of a broader economic partnership aimed at infrastructure and digital transformation, have been indefinitely suspended.&nbsp;At the heart of the dispute is a US requirement for real-time integration between Ghanaian national ID systems and American oversight agencies. According to sources within the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the US sought access to the GhanaCard database managed by the National Identification Authority (NIA) to verify aid distribution and combat potential money laundering. However, Ghanaian negotiators argued that the request bypassed the protections established under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/health-data-of-500-000-uk-volunteers-listed-for-sale-in-china-1776973175449">Health data of 500,000 UK volunteers listed for sale in China</a>&nbsp;"The deal is dead," the source said this week, noting that Ghana's negotiating team included health officials, suggesting it may have been partly tied to health. The US team became "hostile"&nbsp;and piled on "pressure" after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source told AFP.&nbsp;The US team became "hostile"&nbsp;and piled on "pressure" after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source told AFP.&nbsp;The deal would have provided Ghana $109 million in funding for five years, according to the source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, without confirming the specific areas of focus of the proposal. A spokesperson told AFP in an emailed statement that the US State Department "does not disclose the details of ongoing bilateral negotiations" and suggested the funding would have supported "fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases". The funding offered to the West African nation was far less than the $2.5 billion and $2.1 billion offered to Kenya and Nigeria, respectively.&nbsp;At least 32 such deals worth about $20.6 billion under the America First Global Health Strategy had been signed as of Monday (Apr 27), according to the US State Department. Relations between Accra and Washington had been cordial in recent months.&nbsp;(With agency inputs)

Is Ghana trading aid for privacy? Discover why the Ghanaian government pulled out of high-level US talks to protect the national biometric database from foreign access.

The Republic of Ghana has withdrawn from negotiations on a new multi-million-dollar development compact with the US. The breakdown follows a deadlock over US demands for "unfettered access" to Ghana’s national biometric databases as a prerequisite for the aid. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated on Tuesday (Apr 28), confirming that the talks, which were part of a broader economic partnership aimed at infrastructure and digital transformation, have been indefinitely suspended. At the heart of the dispute is a US requirement for real-time integration between Ghanaian national ID systems and American oversight agencies. According to sources within the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the US sought access to the GhanaCard database managed by the National Identification Authority (NIA) to verify aid distribution and combat potential money laundering. However, Ghanaian negotiators argued that the request bypassed the protections established under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). Also read: Health data of 500,000 UK volunteers listed for sale in China "The deal is dead," the source said this week, noting that Ghana's negotiating team included health officials, suggesting it may have been partly tied to health. The US team became "hostile" and piled on "pressure" after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source told AFP. The US team became "hostile" and piled on "pressure" after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source told AFP. The deal would have provided Ghana $109 million in funding for five years, according to the source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, without confirming the specific areas of focus of the proposal. A spokesperson told AFP in an emailed statement that the US State Department "does not disclose the details of ongoing bilateral negotiations" and suggested the funding would have supported "fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases". The funding offered to the West African nation was far less than the $2.5 billion and $2.1 billion offered to Kenya and Nigeria, respectively. At least 32 such deals worth about $20.6 billion under the America First Global Health Strategy had been signed as of Monday (Apr 27), according to the US State Department. Relations between Accra and Washington had been cordial in recent months. (With agency inputs)

Is Ghana trading aid for privacy? Discover why the Ghanaian government pulled out of high-level US talks to protect the national biometric database from foreign access.

Ghana halts US aid talks over 'intrusive' citizen data demands

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Ghana halts US aid talks over 'intrusive' citizen data demands