National Service Personnel Kick Against E-zwich

National Service personnel in Kumasi have expressed dissatisfaction with the National Service Scheme (NSS) for announcing plans to pay their allowances through the national electronic system, e-zwich.

They insist that the decision to enroll service personnel on the e-zwich platform should not be imposed on them, but must be an individual decision.

They disclosed these at a day's orientation organized by the Ashanti Regional Secretariat of NSS.

National Service personnel in selected districts including parts of Kumasi, under an arrangement between NSS and the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), would from next month receive their allowances through the e-zwich.

The system is being implemented on a pilot basis and would eventually be extended nationwide.

Stating their position during an open forum, various speakers, including Opoku Agyeman, Alexis Okogba, Eastmond Nketia, Amos Mensah, Beatrice Oppong and Hannah Nsowaah noted that the decision by NSS was an “unwelcome imposition that must be shelved.”

However, the Regional Director, Kwesi Quainoo defended the new system, saying that e-zwich would promote efficiency and timely payment of allowances.

“The success of the pilot phase would pave way for its replication in the other districts,” he said.

Last year, a total of 7,526 service persons were posted to the Ashanti Region.

Mr. Quainoo praised service personnel who accepted postings to deprived communities.

Asiedu Boafo, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of NSS, urged personnel to be patriotic by contributing to the nation's socio-economic development. Representatives from the GhIPSS, operators of the e-zwich and Amalgamated Bank earlier educated the service personnel on the use and advantages of the e-zwich card.