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Mobile Interoperability is an important milestone for Ghana – BoG Governor

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The launch of Ghana’s first Mobile Money Interoperability Payment System is an “important milestone towards an integrated and interoperable electronic payments environment” and will have a major impact in efforts to ensure greater financial inclusion, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana has stated.

Speaking at the launch of Payswitch Co Ltd, Ghana’s first private Third Party Processing Company, in Accra on Wednesday 16th May, 2018, Dr Ernest Addison said the Bank has also established the needed financial architecture required to support a robust payments and settlement systems as part of its commitment to ensure an enabling regulatory environment.

“As part of the broader strategy to create an enabling regulatory environment for convenient, efficient and safe retail payment and funds transfer mechanisms, Bank of Ghana issued the Branchless Banking Guidelines in 2008 and the Guidelines for E-Money Issuers (EMIs) and the Agent Guidelines in June 2015. The broad objective of these guidelines was to promote financial inclusion initiatives by extending financial services beyond the traditional branch-based channels and to limit e-money issuance to licensed Dedicated Electronic Money Issuer institutions,” Dr Addison stated.

He continued, “These guidelines formed a core part of the Bank's strategy to create a supportive regulatory environment for adoption and use of a convenient, efficient and safe electronic retail payments and funds transfer.

“Following publication of the guidelines, there has been increased activity in electronic payments, especially mobile money, with tremendous positive impact on financial inclusion”, the Governor indicated.

Another major development in the payment system, according to Governor Addison, is the migration from magnetic stripes cards to chip-based payment cards which took effect in April 2018. This migration to secure chip-based cards is expected to minimize if not eliminate skimming or counterfeiting of payment cards.

“Indeed, these achievements were acknowledged in the April 2018 World Bank’s Global Findex Report. According to the report, Ghana’s progress in financial inclusiveness has improved from 40.5 percent in 2014 to 58 percent in 2018, driven mainly by digital financial services.”

Dr Ernest Addison challenged stakeholders in the financial services sector and fintech companies to take advantage of the Interoperability system to design products to meet the constantly evolving demand.

“An effective use of this infrastructure rests on market players to innovate and deliver payment products that meet the needs of various categories of customers. The Bank is always ready to support such innovations that do not pose risks to the payment system.

“As the payment industry expands, efforts by fintechs should be directed at innovative financial products that provide efficiency gains and cost savings compared with the traditional payment methods. Bank of Ghana will continue to play a facilitating role to further develop the payment systems infrastructure, take proactive actions to safeguard the security of the financial market infrastructure and customer funds, and promote an enabling environment for innovative products and services to thrive.”

 

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com

Trade Ministry's 'UNIPASS' agenda exposed!

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In a desperate attempt to kick out West Blue Consulting and GCNet, the Ministry of Trade has resorted to churning out lies to create public disaffection for the existing vendors operating single window at the ports.

The Ministry of Trade which recently offered a 10-year sole sourced contract to Ghana Link and its overseas partners, CUPIA Korea Customs Service without due process to offer a third Single Window is bent on taking over from the existing vendors using all means available.

In an attempt to achieve its aim, the deputy Trade Minister, Carlos Ahenkorah has been granting interviews to the media churning out cooked figures to justify why Ghana Links’ UNIPASS should take over single window operations at the ports.

Carlos’ Justification

In a recent interview with TV3, the deputy Trade Minister said the two existing systems would have to be scrapped, stating that UNIPASS will be doing what the existing vendors are doing.

Distorted Figures

Explaining why UNIPASS must takeover West Blue and GCNet at all cost, Mr. Ahenkorah said “GCNet at the moment is taking 0.4%, and West Blue is taking 1% of every declaration that passes through their system…when you put this two together you get 1.4%. But this new system that is coming to do this two is taking 0.75%”.

The Real Figures

Documents available to the paper show that Ghana Link and its overseas partner CUPIA Korea Customs Service are going to earn 0.75 percent of total proceeds at the port per their contract which is extremely higher than what the existing vendors are receiving.

West Blue Consulting with its overseas partner, Customs World Dubai currently earns only 0.28 percent, which is less than half of UNIPASS’ 0.75 percent.

GCNet earns 0.4 percent. So, the two existing vendors proving single operations in Ghana together are taking 0.68 percent which is far below what UNIPASS is taking (0.75 percent).

So where lies the truth in Carlos Ahenkorah’s statement of justification for UNIPASS takeover.

Ghana Links’ Total Earnings

Meanwhile the owner of Ghana link, Nick Danso is currently earning more for his scanning operation at the port.

One of his companies, Nick Scan earns 0.3 percent for scanning goods at the ports.

So, implementing Nick Danso’s UNIPASS will earn him 1.05 percent of ports revenue which is outrageous to say the least.

Ghana Link per their 10-year contract is supposed to deploy with its overseas partners, CUPIA Korea Customs Service trade facilitation and Customs Management System at the Ports.

West Blue, GCNet Superior systems

However, GCNet and West Blue Consulting with its overseas partner Customs World Dubai are midway with their existing contracts providing fully integrated trade facilitation and customs management system at the ports which incorporates even more modules than what UNIPASS wants to deploy at the ports.

The UNIPASS takeover also seeks to undermine the Vice President’s paperless agenda which is an ongoing port reforms.

$10m Customs World Dubai Investment

West Blue with its overseas partner, Customs World Dubai has committed to investing over $10 million into Ghana’s port operations to improve existing systems and reduce cost and time of clearing goods at port under the Vice president’s paperless system, thereby increasing government’s revenue substantially.

UNIPASS Takeover Effect

Government of Ghana stands to lose millions of dollars at the port. This is because the existing vendors would have to unplug their systems to allow for the new system to come in place. This action will distract business at the port and cause huge revenue loss to the state.

Another big challenge is the training of Customs officials on how to operate the new system; training for stakeholders to understand how the new system works; and the errors that comes with operating such a new system before it reaches it smooth operating level which takes years.

Source: Daybreak

Alabi:'My strong vision helped transform UPSA, not gov’t funds'

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The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi who is aspiring to lead the NDC as its 2020 Flagbearer, has debunked assertions that he succeeded in developing that institution because of his strong ties to the then NDC government when he was in office. 

He has explained that a huge chunk of the funds used to transform UPSA into a modern university, came from internally generated funds (IGF) and not central government funds.  

Speaking on Goodlife FM, a local radio station in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region, he stated that he was able to developed the school as a result of his strong vision and the support of students who paid their fees.

He indicated that when he took over, the school had a huge infrastructure deficit and students even studied under sheds. To resolve the poor state of infrastructure, he entered into a "build and transfer" deal with Access Bank to build the much needed infrastructure for the school.

"I promised the students that we will build a world class university and they didn't believe it was possible but that vision was achieved before I retired", he stressed. 

He further intoned that, "I think we should give the credit to the students who corporated with management and paid their fees promptly which enabled us to pay for the loans ahead of schedule."

Over the last couple of years, the University of Professional Studies experienced a massive transformation under the tenure of Prof. Joshua Alabi as Rector and first Vice Chancellor. 

From a small institution in obscurity, the university has now attained international recognition and a solid brand with university authorities in other African countries visiting to learn about the module used in developing the school.

Ghana | Atinkaonline | Godwin Akoto

Free SHS: Mahama ill-informed- Dep. Education Minister 

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The Free SHS Policy seemed to have been administered and sustained well in recent times after it had been challenged with series of problems when it was introduced. 
However, a few days ago, the former President John Dramani Mahama has opined the policy is in difficulty.

According to him, government is not able to sustain the policy and has only released or provided 30% of the Free SHS budget to the schools; thus, causing them to struggle.

The former President at the early stages of the Free SHS questioned the sustainability of the policy and suggested that if it is not carefully and thoughtfully implemented, the whole programme could crash. Therefore, the difficulty the policy is going through is a manifestation of his foremost submission.

However, Deputy Minister of Education responsible for Basic and Secondary Schools and MP for Bosomtwi, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has debunked former President Mahama’s submission – saying the former President lacks information about the running of the policy.

And that it is quite worrying to hear such statements from the Statesman but quickly mentioned that he (Yaw Adutwum) would not blame him as he has no information about the process.

The Minister also revealed that despite being an NPP politician and working under the Nana Addo-led Gov’t, he is ready to meet with the President Mahama and explain things to him for better understanding.

“Should former President Mahama call me to explain issues about the Free SHS to him, I would do without any hesitation despite belonging to the Nana Addo-led Gov’t.”

Speaking with Kaakyire Ofori Ayim on Atinka AM Drive  Wednesday, the Minister further disclosed that  government has paid all outstanding debts and provide logistics and feeding grants. 

And that during the erstwhile Mahama Administration, they used to pay contractors and other clients through the schools – a situation which caused most of the heads to use the monies on priority areas.

Therefore, the 70% of the Free SHS budget President Mahama talked about have been paid. All contractors have been paid but not through the schools. All the schools do is to send their receipts to the central government and their paid, he added.

“And that monies don’t go to the schools anymore, which is what the former President does not know and understand, Yaw Adutwum added.”

Ghana |Atinkaonline.com |Patrick Ofoe Nudzi 
 

OccupyGhana writes to Bank of Ghana over Sibton Switch and GhIPPS contracts 

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Pressure group, OccupyGhana, has formally written to the Bank of Ghana, requesting for copies of contract documents and agreements between the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and Sibton Switch Systems Limited in relation to the Mobile Money Interoperability contract abrogated by the current Government of Ghana.

Vice President Bawumia launched the first mobile money payments interoperability system in Ghana on Thursday 10th May 2018.

The system is expected to largely eliminate the difficulties associated with traditional banking services, and make banking services more accessible to the large unbanked population, estimated to be about 70%.

However, the two major political parties are accusing each other of securing a bad deal for the country.  

The ruling government told the press Tuesday that, it saved the country a little over $900 million after renegotiating the said contract.

Deputy Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah explained that the $1.2 billion which was the cost of executing the mobile interoperability platform during the Mahama administration, was 267 times more than the cost his government spent on the same project.

However, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson P. Asiama told the press on Monday that the said contract was not bloated as being alleged and accused the government of dragging his name in the mud.

“It is politicians taking over an issue which should be in the domain of the Central Bank. Politicians, back off this issue. There is no criminality. There is no role of government. “Under the original contract, there was no government involvement. It was the Central Bank in a commercial transaction with a client. If they have a problem, they have lawyers, they have professionals.”

But OccupyGhana, in a statement,  requested for documents covering the two contracts and legal opinion sought by the Central Bank

Below is the full statement:

May 16, 2018
Our Ref: OG/2018/009
The Governor, 
Bank of Ghana, 
High Street, 
Accra.

Dear Sir,

REQUEST FOR COPIES OF ALL SIBTON SWITCH AND GHIPPS CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

OccupyGhana® respectfully writes to formally request for copies of contract documents and agreements between the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and Sibton Switch Systems Limited in relation to the Mobile Money Interoperability contract abrogated by the current Government of Ghana. We specifically require documents relating to and surrounding the termination of the Sibton Contract.

We, additionally, request to be furnished with all relevant documents pertaining to the new contract signed with the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPSS) to execute the Mobile Money Interoperability project.

We further request to be furnished with all related tender documents and legal opinions obtained by you in relation to the above-mentioned contracts between you and the two contractors (Sibton Switch and GhIPSS).

We count on you to furnish us with the requested contract and tender documents no more than 14 calendar days after the date of issuance of this letter.
We would appreciate it if your good office considers our request under the enshrined citizens’ Right to Information under Article 21 of the 1992 Ghana Constitution.

Yours faithfully,
D. Kwaku Segbefia, 
For OccupyGhana®
CC:

1. Office of the Vice President Jubilee House
Accra.

2. The Minister
Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning, Ministries, Accra.

3. The Chief of Staff 
Office of the President 
Jubilee House
Accra

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Isaac Nuamah Yeboah


 

DR Congo Ebola outbreak spreads to Mbandaka city

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The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has spread from the countryside into a city, prompting fears that the disease will be increasingly hard to control.

Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga confirmed a case in Mbandaka, a city of a million people about 130km (80 miles) from the area where the first cases were confirmed earlier this month.

The city is a major transportation hub with routes to the capital Kinshasa.

Forty-two people have now been infected and 23 people are known to have died.

Ebola is a serious infectious illness that causes internal bleeding and often proves fatal. It can spread rapidly through contact with small amounts of bodily fluid and its early flu-like symptoms are not always obvious.

Why is the spread to a city such a worry?
The 2014-16 West Africa outbreak, which killed 11,300 people, was particularly deadly because it spread to the capital cities of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Senior World Health Organization (WHO) official Peter Salama said the spread to Mbandaka meant there was the potential for an "explosive increase" in cases.

"This is a major development in the outbreak," he told the BBC. "We have urban Ebola, which is a very different animal from rural Ebola. The potential for an explosive increase in cases is now there."

Mr Salama, the WHO's Deputy Director-General of Emergency Preparedness and Response, said Mbandaka's location on the Congo river, widely used for transportation, raised the prospect of Ebola spreading to surrounding countries such as Congo-Brazzaville and the Central African Republic as well as downstream to Kinshasa, a city of 10 million people.

"This puts a whole different lens on this outbreak and gives us increased urgency to move very quickly into Mbandaka to stop this new first sign of transmission," he said.

What is being done to contain the outbreak?
Confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola have been recorded in three health zones of Congo's Equateur province, the WHO said.

Isolation and rudimentary Ebola case management facilities had been set up in Mbandaka to cope with cases, Mr Salama said.

He said the disease may have been brought there by two or three people who had attended the funeral of an Ebola victim in Bikoro to the south of Mbandaka before travelling to the city.

On Wednesday more than 4,000 doses of an experimental vaccine sent by the WHO arrived in the country with another batch expected soon.

These would be given as a priority to people in Mbandaka who had been in contact with those suspected of carrying the Ebola virus before people in any other affected area in order to stop Ebola spreading in the urban region and beyond, Mr Salama said.


Health workers had identified 430 people who may have had contact with the disease and were working to trace more than 4,000 contacts of Ebola patients, who had spread across north-west DR Congo, the WHO said.

Many of these people were in areas only reachable by motorbike, Mr Salama said.

What about travel restrictions?
The WHO said it was not recommending any trade or travel restrictions either within DR Congo, for example between Mbandaka and Kinshasa, or internationally.

But Mr Salama said that 13 countries in the region were boosting border screening measures and said DR Congo itself was increasing exit screening measures.

"The good news is that the DR Congo population is very used to Ebola outbreaks. They know to protect themselves by avoiding mass gatherings and mass funerals. They know as well that traditional healers can amplify the outbreak," he added.

BBC

Arsenal to hold talks with Mikel Arteta over manager's job

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Arsenal will hold talks with Mikel Arteta on Thursday about becoming their new manager, according to Sky sources.

Former Gunners midfielder Arteta is the leading candidate to succeed Arsene Wenger and if appointed, he would be handed a transfer budget in the region of £50m this summer.

The Arsenal executives, who are responsible for choosing the new manager, are also understood to be holding talks on Thursday.

They are expected to include chief executive Ivan Gazidis, head of football relations Raul Sanllehi and head of recruitment Sven Mislintat.

Gazidis wants the successful candidate to fulfil a head coach role to fit into the club's new management structure.

Arteta is assistant coach at Manchester City and Pep Guardiola said he will not stand in the 36-year-old's way if he is offered the Arsenal job.

It is understood the Spaniard will be allowed to bring in his own backroom staff.

Arsenal want to make an appointment before the World Cup begins next month.

Sky Sports

Ghana's interoperability system will allow for greater financial inclusion –Bawumia

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Ghana now has the most advanced electronic payments system on the African continent, following the launch last week of the Mobile Money Payment Interoperability System, and this will allow for greater financial inclusion, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has declared.

While some countries on the continent have the ‘standard’ mobile money interoperability system, which allows seamless transactions between customers of the various telecom service providers, Ghana’s system allows transactions between telcos as well as banks, making financial services more accessible to the populace.

Vice President Bawumia launched the first mobile money payments interoperability system in Ghana on Thursday 10th May, 2018.

The system is expected to largely eliminate the difficulties associated with traditional banking services, and make banking services more accessible to the large unbanked population, estimated to be about 70%.

Speaking at the launch of Ghana’s first private Third Party Processing Company, Payswitch, in Accra on Wednesday 16th May, 2018, the Vice President said Ghana’s system was unique, and the conclusion of the second phase would make it even more advanced.

“What Ghana has done, which we did last week, has not been done in Africa” Vice President Bawumia declared. 

“We're doing something that is unique. We are allowing interoperability between the mobile companies, so whether you are an MTN, Vodafone Tigo or Airtel user, you can send money between these operators. That is the standard type of interoperability that you see for example in Kenya or Tanzania, but we went one step ahead of that. We brought in the banks so that you have the telcos and the banks, so you can send money from your mobile phone to your bank account and from the bank account to your mobile phone. That is something that is missing in other countries in Africa and Ghana is the first country to get there.”

Vice President Bawumia indicated that the second phase of the interoperability system would be fully implemented in about two months, with the tying-in of the National Switch & Biometric Smart Card Payment System, to complete the payment systems chain.

“In the next couple of months we will be bringing in the e-zwich system to be part of it and we will complete the triangle between the e-zwich, the banks and the telcos. That is phenomenal, and in this context Ghana is arguably the leading country right now in Africa in the area of mobile payments interoperability. We have overtaken Tanzania, Kenya and other countries in this area.”

Commending the Board, Management and Staff of Payswitch for the “tremendous work done”, the Vice President assured that the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo is committed to supporting start-ups through policies and programmes designed to ensure their success.

“Government is poised to support start-ups and emerging technology firms who are daring to apply technology to tackle our everyday problems of doing business and in governing… Other countries have seen the growth of technology because their governments made deliberate efforts to promote local start-ups to flourish. The government of Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo will not be left behind.”

He challenged industry players to take advantage of government’s programmes and policies aimed at boosting economic prosperity for businesses and individuals by collaborating to dominate key sectors of the national economy while engaging government when the going gets tough.

“Most important, tell us what government can do to help this process” the Vice President urged.

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com
 

Chimpanzee nests 'cleaner than human beds'

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If you have a teenager at home, it may not come as a complete surprise to hear that chimpanzee beds are cleaner than human ones, at least according to a new study.

Scientists from North Carolina State University in the US found that nests built by chimps in Tanzania had fewer bacteria shed from bodies than mattresses in most people's homes.

The reason?

As humans moved indoors many thousands of years ago, we became increasingly separated from the outdoor environment – and all the organisms which live there.

In fact nowadays, more than a third of the bacteria in our beds comes from our own bodies.

To assess the impact of this indoor lifestyle, scientists looked at another mammal which builds structures for sleeping in – the chimpanzee – collecting samples from nests in the Issa Valley in Tanzania.

The researchers found they contained fewer faecal, oral or skin bacteria than beds in most human households – even though chimps go to the toilet over the side of their nests.

Part of the reason is that they move to a new nest every night.

And even though the chimps spend more than half the day in bed, the scientists also found hardly any fleas or lice in their nests – whereas our homes have been found to have hundreds of these parasites, including some specially adapted to living indoors with humans.

Megan Thoemmes, who carried out the research published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, says humans living indoors could learn from chimps.

"We definitely need to rethink the way that we design our homes and think about air movement and exposures to the environment," she told the BBC.

BBC

Bawumia justifies review of mobile money interoperability deal

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The Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has justified the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s decision to review the controversial 4.6 billion dollars Sibton Switch System deal downwards, describing it as the right decision.

Speaking at the launch of the Pay Systems Company Limited in Accra today [Wednesday], Dr. Bawumia said the country is getting more at less cost under the reviewed deal.

“One company bid GHC 14 million and another company, for the same scope of work, bid 5 million Ghana cedis A third company, for the same scope of work, bid 4.6 billion Ghana cedi and guess who won? 4.6 billion cedis won that bid.
 
“What are we trying to provide? And we have been able to do it for 4.5 million dollars and we have become the leading country in interoperability.”
In 2016, it was reported that Bank of Ghana had awarded private company Sibton Switch Ltd. a GH¢4.6 billion contract to build a system which would “among other things serve as a single window for all e-payment transactions….to increase penetration and enhance payment delivery channels”.

But telecom companies opposed the arrangement.
The Vice President was subsequently petitioned by Citi FM to review or revoke the deal which may have been overpriced.

Dr Bawumia finally announced in late 2017 that the contract with Sibton was cancelled and that the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Central Bank was asked to implement the system.

GhIPSS has since implemented the system at a far lower cost of $4.5 million.

Following the launch of the first phase of the mobile money interoperability system last week, many have criticised the previous administration for what could have been a waste of state resources.

However a former deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson has said the system recently launched by Dr Bawumia was not functional.

“The system that they are referring to doesn’t work. It is not working. That $4 million that they claim they have spent on that system does not work. I tried it, and it doesn’t work. We should stop this propaganda,” Ato Forson said.

Meanwhile, a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) believes the new system launched by Bawumia is different in scope from the original contract, hence the disparity in the cost.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra on Monday, the former Deputy Governor who resigned from the Bank last year said it would be erroneous to compare to the system Sibton Switch was contracted to build to what was recently launched.

“I am out of office, and I cannot say what is being done now, but if I look at the details and scope of work in the original contract as stated here, it goes far beyond what was launched last week… It is like comparing antelope and an elephant. I am not sure the price will be same,” he said.

–
Source: citinewsroom
 

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