Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor of the central financial institution
Quite a lot of financial institution shoppers have expressed fear over the Financial institution of Ghana’s directive for all banking transactions to be completed with not anything else but even so the Ghana Card, announcing the demanding situations with having access to the cardboard make the July time limit too shut.
Findings made through the B&FT via interviews point out that the majority shoppers aren’t towards the directive given through the central financial institution. Then again, they’re frightened that they would possibly not be capable to get the Ghana Card sooner than the July 1 time limit owing to lengthy queues on the more than a few Nationwide Identity Authority (NIA) registration facilities which is making it irritating to get the cardboard.
Because of this, some financial institution shoppers need the Financial institution of Ghana (BoG) to increase the time limit to permit everybody to have get entry to to the cardboard sooner than enforcing the directive.
A public members of the family practitioner, Akua Owusu-Ansah mentioned: “The Financial institution of Ghana’s path isn’t a foul thought. However for any individual like me who registered for the cardboard way back to 2018 and is but to obtain it, I will be able to be at a deprived finish of the stick come July 1.I’ve been to more than a few identity places of work and I’m met with consistent excuses.
“And now not simplest does that now not talk neatly of our companies, it additionally pushes numerous other folks to search out unlawful manner to get the cardboard as a result of they would like so that you could transact industry with banks within the nation.
“Additionally, there are Ghanaians who reside in another country and are available house, steadily with financial institution accounts within the more than a few banks; are they anticipated to have the Ghana card sooner than they transact industry? I believe the date must be moved somewhat additional to make room for people who find themselves but to safe their Ghana card.”
Any other financial institution buyer, Reginald Ofori, mentioned he concurs with the central financial institution at the directive to simply accept simplest the Ghana Card for monetary transactions, however he additionally joined the numerous voices calling for simple get entry to to the cardboard.
“I admire the truth that they need to make it the primary type of identity for financial institution transactions. We’d like this as a rustic as a result of we have now too many types of identity.
You pass to a financial institution and any individual will come and transact industry the usage of his or her nationwide medical insurance, whilst others use their passports and citizens’ ID.
“But when we have now a uniform manner of identity for those transactions, I consider issues could be smoother and sooner on the banks. Then again, I believe in the event that they pass the direction of the usage of the Ghana card, they must make it simple to obtain,” he mentioned.
For fashion-designer, Ellen Darko who is clearly fed-up with the frustrations of obtaining the cardboard, she mentioned the transfer isn’t important as it’ll building up the force already current at registration centres.
“I consider the directive is senseless as a result of now not everybody has the Ghana card. The method of even securing the cardboard is bulky. I went during the means of registering for the cardboard, and gaining access to the cardboard has turn into a burden.
“I’ve needed to transfer from one municipality to the opposite with out a hope of having my card; and must this persist, how am I going so that you could replace my data on the financial institution? We had been doing alright with out it, and I believe we must stick with the previous tactics of doing issues,” she mentioned.
The BoG’s directive
A public understand launched through the financial institution on January 19, 2022, has urged banks, Specialised Deposit-Taking Establishments (SDIs), non-Deposit-Taking Monetary Establishments, fee carrier suppliers, and devoted digital cash issuers, foreign exchange bureaus, and credit score reference bureaus, to not settle for any type of identity for transaction functions except for the Ghana Card issued through the Nationwide Identity Authority (NIA).
Consumers of all of the affected establishments are subsequently recommended to replace their data with their respective monetary establishments with their Ghana playing cards.