VIDEO: Bawumia buys waakye with QR code to demonstrate its use

Dr. Bawumia outdoored the system on Thursday, November 19, 2020, and demonstrated its use to the public.

He went ahead to use the QR codes to buy waakye at the popular food joint Auntie Muni’s in demonstrating the use.

The Universal Quick Response Code system is part of efforts by government to move the country’s economy to a cashless one.

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The Vice President explained that the system makes it easier for everyone to do transactions electronically.

He disclosed that Ghana is the first country in Africa, and only the third in the world after Singapore and India, to have such a system.

“We are here to formally outdoor the Ghana Quick Response Code system or the QR Code, as it is known for short. It’s a very very historic day because we are solving a major problem here in Ghana and it is historic because Ghana will be the first country in Africa, to launch a QR Code payment system; and not only are we the first in Africa, we are also, as far as I’m aware, the third country in the world to do a Universal Quick Response System after Singapore and India,” Dr. Bawumia said.

He further stated that Ghana’s QR codes are uniquely made because unlike that of the other countries that cater for only bank customers, Ghana’s “will cater for both bank and non-bank customers. That is those who use mobile money as well as have bank accounts.”

“So, in this regard, Ghana’s QR Code system is unique and it is the first of its kind in the world and, so, we have to be rightfully proud as Ghanaians that we have a technology to solve a problem that exists in our society but in doing so, we are really leading the world in this manner and, so, I am very proud here and it has taken collaborative effort."

He added: “We just didn’t wake up and find a Universal QR Code in Ghana. The Ministry of Communication has been critical; the Bank of Ghana, GhIPPS, banks, telcos, fintechs – this is what is so unique about the Ghana story; it’s very very unique that we have had collaboration from all these stakeholders and we’ve been able to actually come up with this Universal QR Code”.