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Business News of Friday, 1 August 2008

Source: GNA

Current media education on e-Zwich not enough - Participants

Kumasi, Aug 1, GNA - Participants at Grace Baptist Church's educational programme on the e-Zwich payment system, have observed that the current advertisements in the media on the facility was not enough to understand its usage. They said the various advertisements in the media have not prepared Ghanaians enough to use the facility but rather brought confusion that required further clarification.

The Grace Baptist Church at Amakom in Kumasi, which organised the programme in collaboration with the Prudential Bank Limited last Wednesday, therefore, called on the Bank of Ghana to intensify its education on the e-Zwich. They further said making it compulsory for all government workers to use the facility within a limited time frame would not augur well, since the media education was not all that one had to know about the system. Mr Felix Osom Boafo, Information Technology (IT) Representative and the one in charge of the e-Zwich, Kumasi branch of the bank said the system, which would be controlled by BoG would operate initially in four banks namely, Barclays, ECOBANK, Trust Bank and Stanbic Bank.

Mr Boafo said current and savings cards would be issued depending on the client's choice saying charges on transactions would be standardized for the next one year. He stressed that one needed not to have an account with a financial institution before applying for the e-Zwich card. Mr Boakye Osei-Asibe, Credit Administrator of the Prudential Bank said the card is an account by itself and it could be used at all times. He explained that the card could be obtained only if one has an Identity Card, Passport or a Driving License. Reverend Dr Kojo Osei-Wusu, Senior Pastor of the Grace Baptist Church, urged Ghanaians to join in the education on the new system since it is a safe, easy and convenient means of payment.