A photo of a sample of a Ghana Card
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has revealed plans to activate the e-wallet feature of the Ghana Card in the coming months.
This move is expected to expand the card’s functionality beyond identification into financial transactions.
According to the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Yayra Korku Deku, the initiative will allow Ghanaians to load funds onto their Ghana Card and use it to make payments or transfer money, just like a traditional electronic wallet.
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“What it means is that you can put money on your Ghana Card and use it for any transaction, whether it’s paying for goods or services. We believe this will generate significant revenue for the authority and strengthen our operations,” Deku said, as quoted by myjoyonline.com.
He added that the rollout would be a game-changer for digital payments in Ghana, noting that several financial institutions have already expressed interest in collaborating with the NIA.
“In fact, some banks have submitted proposals to host the platform, but we want to build a uniform system that allows all banks to integrate seamlessly,” he explained.
Deku also disclosed that the NIA is in talks with the Ghana Gold Board to explore gold trading through the Ghana Card, leveraging tokenisation to enhance transparency in the sector.
“The idea is to make the Ghana Card a gateway to safe and legal transactions, including gold trading, by adopting it as the medium for tokenised transactions,” he said.
The Ghana Card, which was originally designed with three core profiles: e-ID, e-passport, and e-wallet, already has its e-passport function active.
The planned activation of the e-wallet represents the next stage of the card’s integration into everyday economic activities.
SSD/AE
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