JOHANNESBURG - French aerospace company Thales said on Wednesday it was, through its subsidiary Gemalto, working in partnership with payments gateway Paycode to support Ghana's plans to expand financial inclusion.
The West African country is rolling out initiatives that provide Ghanaians with secure and convenient digital financial services aimed at including the financially excluded.
Thales said it was supplying dual card technology to the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) to enhance the functionality of the e-zwich biometric card, Ghana's first financial inclusion platform.
"The dual purpose card will offer cardholders a secure, convenient and affordable means of receiving and making payments," it said.
"It will also provide beneficiaries of (the) government of Ghana's social intervention programs the opportunity to access both funds on their e-zwich cards and in their bank accounts simultaneously; creating financial productivity and empowerment."
The biometric functionality of the card supports the Ghanaian government's drive to eliminate payroll duplications for payments.
“We feel deeply privileged to be working with GhIPSS and Paycode on such an important project," senior vice president for banking and payment at Thales' Africa, Middle East and Eurasia region Nassir Ghrous said.
"Our dual card technology is ideal for banks looking to simultaneously address the issues of unbanked citizens and provide accurate delivery of welfare programs.”
- African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa