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February 10, 2025
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Banks should upgrade ATMs to accept Ghana Card – ACDT
Money
Policy
Opportunity
Growth
Key Points
- The Africa Centre for Digital Transformation (ACDT) has urged the National Identification Authority (NIA), Bank of Ghana (BoG), and financial institutions to expedite efforts to make the Ghana Card function as an ATM card.
- This integration is expected to enhance financial inclusion, security, and convenience for millions of Ghanaians by linking bank accounts to the Ghana Card.
- Key implementation steps include linking all bank accounts to the Ghana Card via a secure national database, introducing biometric authentication and PIN verification at ATMs and POS terminals.
- ACDT also called for banks to upgrade their ATM infrastructure and retailers to adopt compatible POS systems, alongside clear legal and security regulations from the Bank of Ghana.
- A nationwide public education campaign is deemed crucial to inform Ghanaians about linking their cards and using them securely.
Why This Matters
This initiative is significant for Ghana as it aims to profoundly deepen financial inclusion, making banking services more accessible and secure for a wider population. It aligns with the country's digital transformation agenda, promising to streamline financial transactions and potentially reduce fraud, thereby fostering economic participation and development.
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It’s not govt’s business to use ID cards to control people’s consumption of porn – Kofi Bentil
- Kofi Bentil of IMANI Africa criticizes Ghana's proposal to require national IDs for accessing pornographic websites.
- He argues against government regulation of private consumption, comparing it to the failed US alcohol prohibition which empowered organised crime.
- Bentil emphasizes that parental responsibility, not government intervention, is crucial for guiding children's online behaviour and moral development.
- He warns that creating new regulatory bureaucracy for this purpose could lead to oppression and abuse of the national ID system.
- Bentil suggests the government should focus on more pressing cybercrimes like romance fraud and views the proposal as political "grandstanding."
February 20, 2025
Government, labour agree on 10% base pay increase for 2025
- The Ghanaian government and organised labour have agreed on a base pay increase for public sector workers.
- This increment will be effective from January to December 2025.
- The daily minimum wage has been raised to GH₵19.97 as part of the agreement.
- This follows a 23% salary adjustment in 2024 and ongoing demands from labour unions to address economic pressures.
- This marks another wage adjustment in less than a year for public sector employees.
February 23, 2025
NEIP directs all staff to stay home amid salary and employment disputes
- The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has directed all staff to refrain from reporting to work starting Monday, February 24th.
- This instruction is due to ongoing legal and administrative concerns regarding staff employment and salary payments.
- NEIP management stated that legal complexities prevent the use of operational funds to cover monthly staff allowances.
- All employment-related issues must now be addressed through appropriate legal channels to avoid further complications.
- Staff members are also mandated to return all company property by Tuesday, February 25th, with failure to do so considered as theft.