The Bank of Ghana (BoG) would from next month direct all commercial banks in the country to accept the Ghana cards as a means of identification, according to the CEO of the National Identification Authority (NIA).

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, Professor Ken Attafuah said, “There is a verification platform that these banks ought to procure. We are in discussions with their regulator, latest by October this year the Bank of Ghana I believe would have issued the requisite instruction. They have engaged with the banks, we have engaged with the Association of Bankers through the Bank of Ghana for them to accept.” 

He added that “if it’s law that they are requiring, the law already makes it compulsory for the Ghana card to be required; wherever identity is to be verified or established the Ghana card shall be required.”

Prof. Attafuah thinks that some banks in the country are being disingenuous by not accepting the Ghana card. “everyday people from high and low places call…and are very frustrated by the refusal of some banks, I think it is just disingenuous.”

He said the banks have a duty to respect the law and to demand only the Ghana card. 

 NIA Boss on the way forward   

Prof. Attafuah said the banks are having these challenges because some of them do not want to pay for the verification process. 

He, however, maintained that this would soon be a thing of the past as the Bank of Ghana is moving to deal with the banks that have failed to accept these cards.

Prof. Attafuah said, “They are not demanding the Ghana card, some of them are staying in their comfort zone and doing that which doesn’t impel them to spend any money at this point. But that will end very soon.”

Background

A lot of customers over the past months since the National Identification cards were issued have been struggling to get the banks to accept the cards as a means of identification for banking transactions. 

Head of Banking Supervision at the Bank of Ghana Osei Gyasi at the recent JoyBusiness Financial Services Forum in Accra noted that they are currently in discussions with the National Identification Authority to deal with this challenge.