In a bid to make smart phone acquisition easier and convenient for Ghanaians, Ecobank Ghana, MTN, and Samsung have partnered to launch a ‘Device Financing scheme for customers.

Customers would be able to access loans to buy smartphones and pay back on installments, within a stipulated period.

The scheme is aimed at bridging the affordability gap, and boost smart phone penetration in Ghana to make smart phone acquisition easy for the average Ghanaian, without parting with large amount at once.

Nana Asantewaa Amegashie, the Senior Manager for Consumer Marketing at MTN Ghana, said the partnership was to allow the company’s vision to make costumers lives a whole lot brighter by ensuring easy access to original devices.

She said currently about 40 per cent of MTN customers were using smartphones but there were still others, who were excluded from the digital drive because of the cost of devices.

She said the pick and pay service would bridge the affordability gap and get more people on board to begin the change.

Mr Abdul-Latif Issahaku, Data and Devices Manager, said customers willing to purchase a smartphone can simply walk into any of the MTN experience centres nationwide, and through loans financed by Ecobank Ghana, they can acquire any smartphone, and can pay as low as 30 cedis per month for the device.

However, the customer would need to be a salaried worker with an account at Ecobank Ghana, to be able to purchase any phone available, and pay back within the agreed timeframe, which ranges from two to six months, and has an interest rate of 16 per cent.

Mr Eugene Nahm, Managing Director Samsung Ghana, said the company was excited to be part of the partnership, which seeks to bring technology and rich mobile experience to Ghanaians.

He said the offer, which covers smartphones, tablets and wearables, would be covered by a two-year warranty.

Mr Tara Squire, Regional Head of Consumer Banking for Ecobank Ghana and Anglophone West Africa, said the sales promotion drive aimed to support the bank’s customers to purchase and use Samsung Smart Phones and other gadgets and pay later in instalments.

He said the financing arrangements were structured to meet the varied needs of customers.

“We present very flexible, fast, exciting, convenient and cost-effective consumer credit schemes to suit every pocket,” Mr Squire said in the speech read on his behalf.

The scheme comes with three gigabytes of data for six months for smartphones purchased.