Stop Photocopying Ghana Cards for Transactions - BoG Warns Banks
Accra, Ghana - 03 March, 2025 - The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has issued a directive prohibiting banks from photocopying Ghana Cards for customer verification, emphasizing the need for biometric verification to ensure secure transactions.
This move aims to prevent identity theft and impersonation, while also aligning with national and international security standards.
According to Ashitei Trebi-Ollennu, Deputy Head of Office under the Financial Integrity Office of BoG, ''We have never said that banks should photocopy Ghana Cards. Photocopying leaves room for fraud and compromises the integrity of transactions." Instead, banks must use the biometric verification system linked to the National Identification database to authenticate identities.
The directive was reinforced during a stakeholder engagement in Accra, where representatives from the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Association of Banks, and the National Identification Authority discussed the importance of biometric verification in securing financial transactions.
The event emphasized the benefits of real-time biometric verification, which include preventing identity theft and impersonation, eliminating reliance on easily forged physical documents, and ensuring real-time authentication with National Identity Register records.
James Cantamantu-Koomson, Executive Director of IMS II Ltd, highlighted the need for a fundamental shift in identity management, stating that identity is at the center of Ghana's financial system.
“The way we do things is changing. Identity is at the centre and the engine of our financial system. The database that the National Identification Authority has gathered is one of the most powerful assets we have as a country,'' he stated.
The event also fostered collaboration between financial institutions, with banks providing feedback on how to enhance the exchange of information to streamline verification processes.
The National Identification Authority re-emphasized its legal mandate, clarifying that the Ghana Card is the sole form of identification for banking transactions. The event concluded with a clear consensus that biometric authentication is essential for securing financial transactions and reinforcing Ghana's position as a leader in secure digital identity verification.
Benefits of Biometric Verification
- Prevents identity theft and impersonation
- Eliminates reliance on easily forged physical documents
- Ensures real-time authentication with National Identity Register records
- Aligns with national and international security standards
The engagement emphasized the need for financial institutions to transition from traditional manual processes to a multi-modal biometric verification approach, eliminating security vulnerabilities.
Source: Lead News Online
