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![](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanamma.com\/2019\/03\/glauc-new.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\nGoogle has apologised for a glitch in its currency converter widget which displayed the wrong cedi-dollar exchange rate on Friday, March 15.<\/p>\n
The exchange rate displayed for a dollar on Google was four times the actual value, alongside erroneous market rates of a number of currencies against the Ghanaian cedi.<\/p>\n
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However, the Finance Ministry in a statement disclosed that Google in a letter addressed to the office of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison said it was aware of last Friday’s inaccurate conversions for the Ghanaian cedi currency and attributed it to a minor glitch that was quickly fixed.<\/p>\n
“In a letter addressed to the office of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison, Mrs Titi Akinsanmi, Google\u2019s Head Public Policy & Government Relations, West and Francophone Africa said: \u201cwe are aware of the issue of inaccurate conversions for Ghanaian Cedi currency on Friday the 15th of March. This was caused by a minor glitch that was quickly fixed,\u201d the Finance Ministry statement said.<\/p>\n
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“The alleged \u201cminor glitch\u201d went viral on social media shortly after it appeared online, as Ghanaians sought to understand whether Google\u2019s currency convertor\u2019s ludicrous rates were true. Google did not specify if their system had been attacked by malware”.<\/p>\n
Other currencies including Nigeria’s naira and Pakistan’s rupee have suffered similar glitches in their value on Google recently.<\/p>\n
On February 22, the naira had traded at about twice its normal value. It was the second time Africa\u2019s largest economy had suffered from an error in Google\u2019s currency convertor system. Mid-January this year, Pakistan’s rupee also suffered a glitch with affected values similar to what occurred in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
rtor widget displayed a cedi to dollar rate that was four times the actual value, alongside erroneous market rates of a number of currencies against the Ghanaian Cedi.<\/p>\n
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2. In a letter addressed to the office of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison, Mrs Titi Akinsanmi, Google\u2019s Head Public Policy & Government Relations, West and Francophone Africa said: \u201cwe are aware of the issue of inaccurate conversions for Ghanaian Cedi currency on Friday the 15th of March. This was caused by a minor glitch that was quickly fixed.\u201d
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3. The alleged \u201cminor glitch\u201d went viral on social media shortly after it appeared online, as Ghanaians sought to understand whether Google\u2019s currency convertor\u2019s ludicrous rates were true. Google did not specify if their system had been attacked by malware.<\/p>\n
4. \u201cWe always aim to provide people with the most relevant, useful information to help them to make the right decisions. But sometimes there are temporary issues that can cause people to have undesired experiences, like the one this past Friday. This was regrettable,\u201d said Mrs Akinsanmi.<\/p>\n
5. Although she expressed regret over what has affected two other countries since the beginning of the year, Mrs Akinsanmi stopped short of apologizing for the glitch.<\/p>\n
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6. Nigeria was also recently affected by a similar \u201cglitch\u201d as the country headed to the polls in February.<\/p>\n
On the 22nd of February, the Naira had traded at about twice its normal value. It was the second time Africa\u2019s largest economy had suffered from an error in Google\u2019s currency convertor system. Mid-January this year, Pakistan Rupee also suffered a glitch with affected values similar to what occurred in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
END<\/p>\n
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ISSUED BY
PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT,
MINISTRY OF FINANCE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n