Banks will soon adopt only the National Identification card as the primary source of documentation for banking transactions.

This follows discussions between the banks, represented by the Ghana Association of Bankers, the National Identification Authority and the Bank of Ghana.

The discussion is said to have reached an advanced stage and a roadmap on when the decision will take effect will be crafted shortly.

Chief Executive of the Ghana Association of Bankers, John Awuah told Joy Business the banks will soon communicate to customers about the usage of only the National ID card as the primary source of documentation for banking transactions.

“Discussions are presently ongoing and I’m sure in a short while, customers will get information from banks on how to use the national ID as a primary source of identification for banking transactions.”

“With the recent debate ongoing over the national ID and others, we want a system where for a period, we can be using a parallel system; we’ll be using what we have now and national ID at the same time”, he said.

“But when that period is over, then the law says only the National ID becomes the primary document or card for inputting information of customers in banking transactions”, Mr. Awuah added.

Country moves gradually towards using National ID for all transactions

The country is presently moving gradually towards using the National ID for all transactions.

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said plans are underway to ensure that all Ghanaians with SIM cards re-register them using the National Identification card by middle of this year.

According to him, this is part of plans to rid the country’s cyberspace of fraud.

Speaking at the 5th Ghana CEO Summit which is underway in Accra, the Vice President noted that any individual who fails to take part in the exercise risks losing his or her SIM card.

“I expect that the Minister for Communications and Digitalization [Ursula Owusu Ekuful] will soon announce the date for registration of the SIM card. Maybe by the end of June or beginning of July this year, everybody will have to register their SIM with a National ID number.”