Prof. Mensah dares Bawumia to use his Ghana Card to buy a Mercedes

Professor Kobby Mensah, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, has cast doubt on Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's promise that Ghanaians would soon have access to credit and purchase cars using the Ghana Card.

In a post shared on X on November 28, 2023, Prof. Mensah asked why the Ghana Card is not being used to acquire vehicles because there are garages in Ghana already.

He threw a challenge for someone to take his or her Ghana Card to a car dealership to see if s/he would be allowed to buy a car on credit.

“Are we not in Ghana? Are there no garages in Ghana? If the answers to these questions are yes, then the case is simple.

“Take your Ghana card to CFAO to pick up a Mercedes and let’s prove the theory,” the academic wrote.

What Dr Bawumia said:

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia announced plans for Ghanaians to access credit and purchase cars using the Ghana Card and the ongoing digitalization of the economy.

Speaking at the 57th Congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on November 24, he revealed ongoing discussions with local automobile companies, including Solar Taxi, to facilitate this initiative.

"The Ghana Card will also become the anchor for a credit system in Ghana, and it will take a couple of car manufacturers in Ghana, notably Solar Taxi, to give cars on credit to people," asaaseradio.com quoted Bawumia as having said.

He stressed that the Ghana Card would be the sole requirement for transactions, enabling individuals to acquire cars and pay over time.

The vice president also disclosed plans to introduce a credit scoring system for individuals in 2024.

This system, he said, aims to provide a credible credit history for individuals, enhance the financial sector, address trust issues, reduce the cost of doing business, and promote financial discipline.

"Ghana next year will be introducing a credit scoring system for individuals. Every individual will have a credit score. Right now, our credit scoring system does not exist, so we are seen as risky," he added.

View his post below:

Are we not in Ghana? Are there no garages in Ghana? If the answers to these questions are yes, then the case is simple. Take your Ghana card to CFAO to pick up a Mercedes and let’s prove the theory ???? https://t.co/omtb7N86Lq

— Prof. Kobby Mensah (@thePOE_T) November 28, 2023