All banks in Ghana will be able to introduce mobile payments following enhancements to the country's interbank switching and processing system by Bank of Ghana subsidiary Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems, or GhIPSS.

The enhancements are to the gh-link platform, GhIPSS' interbank switching and processing system, which interconnects switches operated by financial institutions and systems owned by third party institutions.

GhIPSS developed gh-link mobile in collaboration with the Nigerian payment company eTranzact. The introduction of gh-link mobile is part of GhIPSS' mandate to transform Ghana into an electronic payments society, Archie Hesse, GhIPSS' chief executive, said in a statement quoted by Ghana News Agency. The system has been developed and will be tested in early 2014 before going live, he said. All banks will then be able to offer mobile banking and payment services to their customers.

In 2012, GhIPSS introduced gh-link ATM, which enables local ATM cards to be used in virtually all ATMs in Ghana. According to the Ghana News Agency, GhIPSS officials have met with their counterparts from MasterCard and have agreed to integrate MasterCard-branded cards into the gh-link ATM platform.

GhIPSS has also begun piloting the gh-link hybrid Point of Sales terminal that enables bank customers to use local ATM cards for shopping. The mobile payment system will be added to the gh-link platform to give consumers additional flexibility, GhIPSS said.

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