Government of Ghana in partnership with Fidelity Bank has launched an electronic travel card designed to aid with the cashless payment of travel allowances and other payments for local and foreign trips by government and all other public officials.
The electronic travel card system forms part of government’s digitalization agenda which aims at transforming Ghana’s economy while ensuring a cash-lite system.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia launched the e-travel card to climax the 2-day annual Conference of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department held at the University of Cape Coast. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia mentioned elimination of fraud and the provision of transparency and ease of accountability as part of the benefits of the electronic travel card portal.
He noted, “the e-travel card portal is to replace all manual systems of managing imprest in the public service by delivering personalized cards to every government office and employee.”
This will deliver several attendant benefits including the elimination of the risk with cash transactions for official travels and cash disbursement, ensure timely retirement of accountable imprest, strengthen monitoring and controls of budgetary allocations for official travels to avoid overspending, eliminate the misapplication of funds over expenditures and fraud associated with imprest.
The electronic travel card system is currently operating and can only be accessed by government workers.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Julian Kingsley Opuni, said his outfit was motivated to partner government to undertake the project since banks have a huge part to play in the cash-lite agenda government seeks to achieve. He also mentioned that supporting the activities of government is not only restricted to education but introducing innovative products like the electronic travel card.
Mr. Opuni was hopeful that workers in the public sector will accept the initiative because of the convenience it will bring to them.
“Cash has its own challenges even though sometimes it gives a certain level of security, but this is not always. To have a simple piece of plastic that gives you access to your money and access to make your purchases is something I hope they will embrace and take forward.”
The electronic travel card is powered by Fidelity Bank.
Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
