The news:
- The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, an umbrella organisation that regulates and promotes the interests of the country's telcos, has given Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs) in Ghana until the close of business today, Wednesday, January 31, 2024, to direct their agents to complete the linkage of accounts with the Ghana Card or Tax Identification Number (TIN).
- In a statement released on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, the telco regulator warned that defaulting agents will have their accounts blocked immediately from Thursday, February 1, 2024.
- The statement, signed by Regulatory and Research Manager Louis Bobbie Osei, also revealed that the association reached this unanimous decision after extensive discussions with the Ghana Revenue Authority's (GRA) leadership.
The Chamber underlined how crucial it is for all agents to link their accounts appropriately, stating that this is how their operations in the nation will become more regular.
The statement emphasised that since all impacted agents have received information about this requirement through various channels, there will not be any extensions.
The Chamber has outlined a process for agents to restore their accounts if they are blocked. The affected agents are directed to visit any of the operator outlets in the country with their Ghana Card or TIN to complete the linking process.
The Chamber reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all Ghanaians have easy access to safe, convenient financial services, even as it acknowledged the critical role mobile financial services play in promoting financial inclusion and economic growth.
Founded in 2011 as a non-profit in Accra, Ghana, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications is an industry association and a private initiative by mobile network operators in Ghana. Its functions are advocacy to drive telecommunications policy, legislation and regulation and research to advance telecommunications in Ghana.
The telecom operators MTN, Airtel Tigo, and Vodafone; tower companies American Towers and Helios Towers; infrastructure companies Comsys and CSquared; and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Ericson and Huawei are members of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications.
