Accra, Nov, 25, GNA - Students of the country's tertiary institutions have embraced the use of e-zwich Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), available statistics have shown.

The e-zwich ATMs located on four campuses account for 34 percent of t= he volume of transactions on the machines, despite the fact that these ATMs aside the one on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus, were recently installed.

The statistics also showed that though the campuses are dominated by students, they also account for 25 percent of the value of transactions o= n the ATMs across the country.

The e-zwich ATMs on the tertiary campuses are used largely to load fu= nds on the card and to receive monies transferred to them. These are located on the University of Ghana, the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), both in Accra, the University of Cape Coast a= nd the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. One ATM has been installed on the Wa Campus of the University of Development Studies and will soon be activated. Officials of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), who provided the statistics, are impressed with the level of activity on the campuses.

Over the past one month, the ATM at KNUST recorded the highest level of activity with some 1,198 transactions, while the ATM at IPS recorded the highest value of close to GH¢26,000.

Speaking in an interview with journalists, the General Manager in cha= rge of Project and Business Development, Archie Hesse commended the banks for=

their role in the deployment of the e-zwich ATMs.

He said at the current pace, he had no doubt that the younger generat= ion would be engrossed in the use of the e-zwich card, saying other tertiary campuses would also soon have ATMs to ensure that they also benefit from the biometric smart card. Mr Hesse, therefore, urged parents to remit their wards through e-zwi= ch as they would be able to access the money directly from the ATMs at their=

convenience even at night.

Away from the campuses, the e-zwich ATMs at Tamale in the Northern Region and the Takoradi Market Circle are the most actively used outlets. Officials of GhIPSS say the level of activity at these two ATMs is heartwarming because it could mean that traders and other busines= s people are patronizing the e-zwich card. The banks have also become very active and aggressively pushing the r= oll out of e-zwich services across the country. The most active financial institutions over the past month include Ghana Commercial Bank, Opportuni= ty International Savings and Loans, and Guranty Trust Bank. Mr Hesse urged the public to look out for the e-zwich ATMs and use th= em, saying GhIPSS would adopt the best strategy to ensure high patronage of t= he payment system.