Ghana negotiating to make credit for car loans available through digital ID card

In Ghana, it may soon be commonplace to secure a car on hire purchase by presenting one’s biometric national ID (Ghana Card) to a car vendor.

Negotiations in this regard are underway between state authorities and some automobile companies, the country’s Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said recently, as reported by Modern Ghana.

Speaking during an event at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the VP said the negotiation is part of broader efforts to anchor a credit system for Ghanaians on the Ghana Card.

Bawumia said when things are perfectly ironed out, the ID card will “become the anchor for a credit system in Ghana and it will take a couple of car manufacturers in Ghana, notably Solar Taxi, to give cars on credit to people.”

“All they will need at the point of transaction will be your Ghana Card and they will give you a car and then you pay over time,” he said as quoted.

The system will be piloted by Solar Taxi, a ride-hailing platform which also sells electric vehicles manufactured by Xpeng.

As part of the plan, the government says it is also working to establish a credit scoring system which will assess the credit behaviour and history of those going for such loan schemes.

The Ghana Card is the main ID credential issued to citizens and aliens in Ghana. It is required for almost every public and private sector transaction – from applying for a passport, to financial and business transactions, to registering a SIM card, to finding employment, among other uses.

NIA plans next enrollment campaign

Over the years, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has been working to expand coverage of the Ghana Card.

In September, the ID-issuing authority launched a follow-up nationwide enrollment campaign for the biometric ID, targeting mostly people who have never been issued the card.

In 2024, the NIA hopes to begin a special Ghana Card registration process targeting about three million Ghanaians living abroad, according to a feature published by Graphic Online.

The article echoes the views of some potential beneficiaries who recounted their past ordeal in trying to obtain the Ghana Card, as well as their joy now that the government intends to meet and issue them the credential in their respective countries of residence.

Out of a population of 30.8 million Ghanaians, 17.5 million of them have been issued a Ghana Card as of October 31, according to figures attributed to the NIA. Of all the cards printed, 895,000 are still to be withdrawn by their owners as of the same date.

The NIA also hopes to register 7 million youths under the age of 15 next year.

The Election Commission of Ghana has also been pushing ahead with a plan to make the Ghana Card the main ID document needed for voter registration.

Article Topics

biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  financial services  |  Ghana  |  Ghana Card