Your QR Code is not the 1st in Ghana - Sammy Gyamfi to Dr Bawumia

Ghana is not the first African country to implement a universal quick response code (QR Code) payment system, this is according to Sammy Gyamfi, Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress.

The software mobile application was outdoored in Accra on Thursday when Vice President Bawumia demonstrated its practical implementation at the popular Aunti Muni Waakye in Accra.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Bawumia stated, "Today is a historic day because we are solving a major problem here in Ghana. It is also historic because Ghana will be the first country in Africa to launch a Quick Response (QR) code payment system."

"Not only are we the first country in Africa, but we are also, as far as I am aware, the third country in the world to launch a Quick Response Code after Singapore and India.”

However, just a day after the New Patriotic Party running-mate made this claim, the NDC has come out with evidence to debunk it.

With articles dating back to 2017, the NDC rather applauded banking firms in Ghana as the first to launch QR Codes in the country.

“This QR Code payment system that we are talking about was introduced by Ecobank and implemented in 2016/2017 so it not a new thing,” Sammy Gyamfi said on Metro TV’s 'Good Morning Ghana' on Friday.

Among the evidence provided by Sammy Gyamfi is a story 2017 by BusinessGhana which revealed that, “Ecobank Ghana launched a Masterpass QR, a smart merchant solution that accepts payments for goods and services from the mobile phone, providing micro, small and medium enterprises the opportunity to move from cash to digital payments.”