E-zwich agents go up to 100 as GhIPSS prospects for more

Over 100 e-zwich agents have been set up mainly in Accra, few other regional capitals and major towns, as efforts are stepped up to bring e-zwich services closer to the people.

The move follows exponential growth in the use of the biometric card by over 100 percent in terms of volume and over 200 percent by value in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.

All the 100 e-zwich agents are private individuals and a few outlets of microfinance institutions, who are offering the range of e-zwich services to complement the banks.

The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) began the initiative to create the agents less than three months and has steadily increased the number of agents to the current number and are prospecting for more.

A team from GhIPSS was in the Western and Central regions to prospects for more agents who will soon be set up to also provide the service. The team is expected to visit other regions as well.

The decision by government to use the e-zwich to pay beneficiaries of its various social interventions and other projects, together with increased use of the payment system by private sector organisations has led to more people receiving payments on the card.

It is to ensure that these cardholders enjoy quality service at locations easy to access, that GhIPSS has set out to set up the agents.

The Chief Executive of GhIPSS Archie Hesse is encouraging enterprises and business minded people to contact GhIPSS if they are interested in serving as e-zwich agents. He explained that such people will be trained and assisted to set up and provide the range of services.