E-zwich usage in Ghana increases in quality, but not in quantity

The rate at which financial consumers in the country apply for access to the e-zwich cards has dwindled since the electronic payment system was introduced in 2008.

The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GhIPSS) two years ago embarked on road shows for mass e-zwich registration in parts of the country.

High patronage was recorded, but the biometric smart cards have remained a mere plastic in the wallets and purses of some patrons.

Cardholders have not been able to use the cards because of challenges in accessing Point of Sale (PoS) devices at markets and shopping centres.

Archie Hesse, General Manager in charge of Project and Business Development at GhIPSS, has acknowledged that the rate of individuals registering for e-zwich has gone down, but according to him, the quality has improved.

“If in the past we had 20 people going in for the Ezwich cards and only maybe three people using it, now roughly we have 15 people going in for it and all the 15 are actually using it”, he told Luv Biz Report.

Mr. Hesse observed that usage of the electronic payment card is increasing on monthly basis, mostly in the areas of remittances and salary disbursement.

“From the transaction point of view, when it comes to salary payment, when it comes to money transfers, all the various forms of money transfer, the usage is actually increasing month-on-month and when I look at yearly statistics, there are instances where we are actually quadrupling the volume of transactions and the value of transaction,” he emphasized.

The GhIPSS is hoping to speed up the processes of paying government employees through the Ezwich platform.

Mr. Hesse says delivery channels are also being enhanced to ensure that Ezwich card holders have ready access to their funds.

He is confident the integration of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and bank switches into the national switch will facilitate the activation of ezwich services at the banks.

“Our ideal preference will be that when you've been paid unto your card, you actually go and shop using your card at the point of sale device, so you do not need to redraw the funds before making the purchases”, stated Archie Hesse.

To make this possible, he said the GhIPSS is working to perfect its infrastructure systems to ensure the deployment of enough point of sale devices at various market places.

The GhIPSS is a subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana tasked with the implementation of e-zwich, the brand name for the National Switch and smart card payment system.

The project is intended to improve the banking sector and discourage the excessive use of cash as means of payment, by enabling account holders to withdraw money from any ATM they come across and also quicken the clearing of cheques.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana