The Management of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), has assured National Service Personnel that payment of their allowances through e-zwich is in their interest. It said e-zwich would enhance efficiency in the payment of allowances and introduce them to the global trend of electronic payment. The assurance was to allay the fears of the personnel who are hesitant to adapt to the innovation. The National Service Secretariat has been collaborating with management of GhIPSS to ensure that national service personnel are paid electronically. Already, personnel in Ga South Municipal in Greater Accra Region and Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in Western Region received their March allowances through e-zwich cards. This will be extended to Tema and Kumasi Metropolis for their April allowances and eventually to the rest of the country. "It is in this light that GhIPSS is encouraging National Service personnel not to just embrace the new payment system, but to make more enquiries about the added benefits of using e-zwich cards to derive maximum benefit from it," said Archie Hesse, General Manager of GhIPSS in-charge of Project and Business Development. Currently, the biometric card has a savings wallet that attracts high interest rates from the banks. "As young people, it will be ideal to inculcate savings among them for future use, through the savings wallet and earn 15 per cent interest," Mr Hesse said. He urged the personnel to look out for these interest rates and transact business with banks that pay higher rates. Officials of GhIPSS said there are exciting times ahead as banks are developing new products that would use the e-zwich platform and card. Some banks, including UT Bank, are already disbursing loans through e-zwich while payments of remittances from abroad are also onto the e-zwich card. All these developments, according to the management of GhIPSS would inure to the benefit of people who use the e-zwich biometric card. "Apart from money transfer services, there are many products that would soon be introduced by the banks and I urge national service personnel to avail themselves to these innovations," Mr. Hesse noted. Source: GNA