The government is exploring ways of centralizing all relevant State Telecom infrastructures to enhance the development of Information and communications Technology at this point in Ghana’s socio-economic development.

Mr Felix Owusu-Agyapong, the Minister of Communications and Technology, disclosed this on Thursday when he launched the “E-Card”, an on-line debit-card payment-service, developed jointly by Ecobank Ghana Limited, The Trust Bank, and Cal Merchant Bank.

He said, the e-card is a clear evidence of the private sector’s contribution to government’s effort to promote economic competitiveness through the development of new technological ideas. He added that while pursuing this objective, it is encouraging to see the three banks joining resources to achieve a common goal, which has the advantage of reducing the cost of service. Mr Felix Owusu-Agyapong stated that in pursuit of the government’s objective to promote digital economy, there is the need to make e-banking possible nation-wide.

Mr M. Narh, the Head of Banking at the Bank of Ghana, who deputized for the deputy Governor, said the introduction of the e-card is consistent with the Bank’s policy to reduce the over-dependence on cash transactions in the economy. He said, the use of cash for large transactions, apart from the high cost of printing new bank notes, is risky especially given the increasing incidence of armed robbery in the country.