The United Bank for Africa (UBA), which introduced the card-less ATM withdrawal service in Ghana, has called on the government to implement policies that would enhance electronic banking countrywide.
Abu Yahaya, head of product sales at UBA Ghana, said if the policies are implemented, it would lead to an increase in the use of electronic products such as paying utility bills, pensions as well as purchasing airtime by use of cards and mobile phones, reported the Chronicles.
Yahaya asked the government to create a setting that would attract businesses with the power and financial might capable of starting up reliable infrastructure, which could facilitate and carry out electronic transactions accordingly, and as a way of actuating a system, it should put up tax incentives for importation of branchless banking equipment.
UBA managing director Oliver Alawuba said that the bank views branchless banking as the future of banking in Ghana and that other financial institutions should embrace the system to add value to their customer service.
Alawuba added that this new form of banking that extends to unreached areas in terms of banking services would use mobile banking or special e-village kiosks to give a chance to the majority low-income earners both in the rural and urban areas, access to the banking system without having to face the difficulties of opening an account.
The bank currently has one exclusively cashless outlet service in the country named the Accra mall “E-Village,” which offers services such as bill payments and cash transfer on cards.
UBA is a financial service provider that is the product of a combination between Nigeria’s third and fifth largest banks. In Ghana alone, it has 26 networked branches with 40 ATMs, with additional branches in 20 Sub-Saharan countries and more than 7 million customers.
