The Ghana Interbank
Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank
of Ghana, has announced a waiver of fees on electronic services.
In a press statement issued in Accra, it said all commercial
banks, Fintechs and Mobile Money (MoMo) operators, leveraging the various
platforms to offer electronic payment services were not going to incur any
service charges.
This took effect from yesterday – Monday, March 23, and the
waiver is regardless of the volume and value of transaction. Mobile Money
Interoperability (MMI) and all cross wallet transactions on the platform, it
said, would not attract any fees, likewise the GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP), Banks
and Fintechs offering Instant Pay services.
This, it added, applied to banks leveraging the ACH-Direct
Credit platform for bulk payments such as salaries on behalf of corporate
institutions.
GhIPSS therefore expressed confidence that the fee waiver
would contribute to efforts at promoting and encouraging the use of digital
payment options to limit the possible spread of the flu-like COVID-19 through
contacts with cash in physical form.
It, therefore, urged the partner banks, Fintechs and MoMo
service providers to make the services available to customers on their various
digital and mobile payment platforms – the mobile app, Internet banking and
USSD.
GhIPSS also appealed to the public to turn to these and other
electronic payment options and avoid the use of physical cash as much as
practicable.
It said the Ghana Quick Response (GhQR) and Proxy Pay
services, which would be launched on March 25, would also provide additional
channels for the public to transact business electronically. GhIPSS reminded
the people to observe personal hygiene and social distancing in order to curb
the spread of the COVID-19.
Source: Henry George Martinson/radiogoldlive.com
