Government will in March 2020 launch a universal QR code to help retailers receive cashless payments without a point of sale devices.
Speaking at the town hall meeting and results fair in Kumasi on Tuesday, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia stated that, “Thanks to the Bank of Ghana, next month, in March, Ghana will launch the universal QR code payment system, which will make it possible for all retailers, including those who sell Kofi Brokeman and waakye on the streets, to have the capacity to receive payments directly on their mobile phones without a point of sale device. Even trotro, if you want to pay by mobile wallet, they will have their own QR code. Everybody will be able to receive [money]. You don’t have to keep a lot of cash if you are selling things.”
The Vice President first announced the universal code in November 2019.
“We will introduce what we call the Universal QR code. It leverages the technologies that we have built. Once we launch the Universal QR code, all businesses and traders will essentially no longer need a point of sale devices. Mobile phones will be sufficient to receive payment wherever and will go directly into your account that you have received payment. This is going to start next month. Singapore, China and the UK have all launched the QR code so Ghana is going to be the first in Africa. We are going to launch it next month so we move on to be a cashless society to make e-commerce enhancing.”
About the Town hall meeting
The town hall meeting is being organised by the NPP government to outline the achievements is has accomplished since it took office on January 7, 2017.
The event was organised at the KNUST Great Hall.
We won’t be silent; government must tell its own story – Oppong Nkrumah
Responding to critics of the town hall meeting, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said that the government owes it a duty to keep reminding citizens of the promises achieved and those yet to be fulfilled.
“There are a number of reasons all government over the world will have to do this. First, is to remind and communicate with the people what we have done. There are opposition parties who will say you have done nothing. No government can say that it will remain silent and hope that the people on their own volition see what the government has done. So we must always speak up and tell our story. If you do not tell your story, no one can tell your story well enough for you.”
“So, we have an obligation to tell our story. Literally, four years into our administration, we must be in the position for the people to know how far we have come.”
