EMIs Chamber makes strong case for affordable mobile phones

By Selorm Gborbidzi, Accra

The Chairman of the Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs) Chamber of Ghana, Philip Amoateng, has called on the government and mobile service operators in Ghana to collaborate to increase access to affordable mobile phones.
He believes this will facilitate wider adoption of mobile money services in the country.
Amoateng, who is also the Director of Telecel Cash at Telecel Ghana, made this call during an online conversation organized by the Chamber under the theme, “Ghana’s Evolving Digital Space (Overcoming Challenges and Delivering Value).”
“A significant portion of the population currently lacks access to mobile handsets. I believe the government and operators can work together through policy measures, such as tax incentives and rebates on imported handsets, to deepen this access,” he urged.
He also encouraged mobile service operators to invest in digital literacy education to ensure that customers understand how to use their phones effectively.
“Owning a phone is not enough. People may have the phone but not know how to use it. Digital literacy is equally important,” he stated.
Engineer Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, Chief Executive Officer of the EMIs Chamber, emphasized the need for mobile money to transition from a primarily peer-to-peer system to a more merchant-based one.
By expanding beyond peer-to-peer payments, users can reduce their reliance on physical cash and conduct various transactions digitally.
“We’ve got to the point where we really need to push merchant payments, and if we do and we push merchant payments, what will happen is that in a country where majority of us don’t pay taxes, then you’ll be able to find the businesses people have doe and at the end of the year the profits they have made.”
You move taxation from where it’s front-loaded to the back based on the profits that they have made. So you don’t tax him at the point where he’s starting the business,” he stated.
Dr. Ashigbey further noted that this shift would enable small business owners to track their income more effectively, boosting their confidence and making them more eligible for loans. Additionally, it would reduce the government’s costs associated with minting physical currency and mitigate the risks faced by businesses due to robberies.
“While we are not there yet, merchant payments are still at a rudimentary stage, and we need to make significant progress in this area,” he concluded.