Business News of Tuesday, 22 February 2005

Source: Joy Online

ISPs Call On Govt To Reverse Ban

The Ghana Internet Service Providers Association is calling on government to help reverse the ban on Internet shopping in Ghana.

Ghana was banned from using credit cards to shop via the Internet after over $5 million of online fraud was detected to have been generated from the country.

This means that, genuine businesspeople operating from Ghana will not be able to transact business-using credit cards.

The trend is said to be so pronounced that Ghana is being described as the rising star of Internet fraud.

The Ghana Internet Service Providers Association is expected to make a statement on the issue later today.

Its President Nana Yaa Owusu Prempeh told Joy Business Report that government needs to intervene since foreigners commit most of the Internet fraud cases.

?Few Ghanaians have credit cards so this credit card influx is coming from outside so we going to make a public plea for everyone to be involved to get us restored because we cannot afford to be taken out because it is not a good image for the nation?, she said.

Mrs. Owusu Prempeh said most major internet caf? in Ghana have instituted some security measures to help curb the level of internet fraud in the country.

She added that smaller caf?s need to the encouraged to do the same.

?We need to encourage them to as to have access to some security feature which can identify particular users of fraudulent devices that contaminates the industry?, she said.