Bank of Africa has launched a cash transfer service – the Wari money
transfer – aimed at meeting the needs of the unbanked Ghanaian
population.
The service according to the bank is convenient for people who wish to
receive and send cash both locally and outside the country.
Wari is currently available at all 19 branches of Bank of Africa in
Ghana and is expected to be rolled at other banks in the country –
including First Atlantic Bank, Express Funds Transfer as well as rural
banks and savings and loans facilities.
“You don’t need an account with Bank of Africa before you do a Wari
transaction. Anybody can. The purpose of the platform is for us to be
able to reach the unbanked so we don’t expect everybody to have account
with us before they get the opportunity to transfer funds”, said
Ahitophel Dwomoh, Head of the Alternative Channels at the bank.
Mr Dwomoh noted that what sets Wari from existing money transfer is its
“cheap” tariff structure. “Some of the transfer services that are on
the market now are based on the percentage of what you send, for
instance, but this one [Wari] charge is in bands, so it makes it
cheaper”, he said.
He said funds transfer between GH?1 and GH?5 attract the same charge,
those in different bands also attract same charge to reduce the charges
on funds transfer. Although people in Ghana cannot transfer funds to
abroad using Wari, they can receive money from anywhere across the
globe.
“It is very secure. Most of the transfer services that we have now, if
you do the transfer you need to call the beneficiary and give him or her
the code but with this [Wari] once the beneficiary has a phone the code
automatically goes on his or her phone”, Mr Dwomoh explained further.
However, the beneficiary has to present his or her valid ID, the amount
he or she is expecting and fill a form. Bank of Ghana started
operations in 2011. It acquired majority interest in Amalgamated Bank in
February the same year.
The bank currently offers a wide range of products and services that
cover sectors of Retail Banking, SME Banking, Corporate Baking and
Treasury.
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