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GIP logo 01Public preference for real-time payments is fast rising, the first-quarter industry performance released by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), has shown. The figures show very high growth in both volume and value of transactions.

Real-time payments are electronic payments or transfers made across banks, with the recipients getting value for the funds instantly. They include Mobile Money Interoperability (MMI) and GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP) platforms. The report indicated that express cheque clearing and express Automated Clearing House (ACH) as well as ACH Near Real-Time also saw growth in value of transactions while normal cheque saw a reduction in the volume of transactions and only 1% growth in value.

According to the report, Real-time transactions increased in volume by 272 per cent, from 6.13 million processed in the first quarter of 2020 to 22.83 million in the same period in 2021.The value of transactions increased by 443 per cent from 1.44 billion cedis in 2020 to 7.84 billion cedis in 2021 over the same period.

The Chief Executive of GhIPSS, Archie Hesse said the growth in the value of transactions clearly showed that more people were confident to use real-time payment services to send bigger sums of money than they did previously. He said while the total value of all GhIPSS products went up by 30 percent, the value of Real-time transactions shot up by 443 per cent. “The huge growth in the value of Real-time transactions clearly shows that more people are using these platforms for higher value transactions than they previously did compared to non-real-time services.”

Mr. Hesse said the trend should inform players within the financial services sector on the need to move their payment services towards real-time as that was becoming the preference of the public. He said GhIPSS, together with its partners, would continue to create awareness about the various electronic payment channels, including GhQR, to further increase the volume and value of such transactions to reduce reliance on cash.

The Department of Social Welfare in the Upper West Region has began the 48th cycle of payment of the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) Programme to beneficiaries.

Payment of beneficiaries would end on Friday in the WA Municipal as it proceeds to other districts, Mr Umar Issah, the Wa Municipal Director of the Department, has said. He said the programme would cover 50 communities and a total household beneficiary of 3,096 and 9,800 individual beneficiaries.

Mr Issah said his outfit has grouped the communities into clusters so as to facilitate fast payment. The grouping into clusters is done considering the availability of network in the area and every beneficiary has a unique 10 digit code which gives them access to their benefits electronically.

“The use of the e-zwich has made payment effective and better unlike the old form of payment which was manual”, he said.

Under the LEAP program, a single beneficiary takes GHC64.00, two beneficiaries in a household are entitled to GHC76.00 whiles three beneficiaries take GHC88.00 and four and above people are entitled to GHC106.00.

Mr. Issah said though the programme helps to cushion the financial burden of the poor, it was still associated with under payment, over payment and double payment challenges.

He said after the death of a lead beneficiary or when he or she became invalid, funds to be accessed for the remaining beneficiaries becomes a challenge.
Mr. Issah advised old beneficiaries to always come with care-givers to help them collect their money.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the funds to cater for their dietary needs while care-givers should also provide basic and educational needs of the orphans and vulnerable children to enable them stay in school.

Mr. Issah said low incentives for programme officials such as fuel allowance and money for feeding were some of the challenges hindering the operations of the officials.

GNA

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  4. e-zwich patronage grew by 140% in 2016
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