BoG Prohibits Banks from Photocopying Ghana Cards, Mandates Biometric Verification

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has issued a directive prohibiting banks from photocopying Ghana Cards for customer verification, insisting that biometric verification must be the standard method for identity authentication.

This directive aligns with the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111), and addresses the risks associated with outdated verification methods such as lookup lists and visual inspections.

According to Mr. Ashitei Trebi-Ollennu, Deputy Head of the Financial Integrity Office at BoG, “We have never said that banks should photocopy Ghana Cards. Photocopying creates room for fraud and compromises the integrity of transactions.” He stressed that banks must authenticate customer identities directly through the biometric verification system, which is linked to the National Identification database, ensuring a secure financial ecosystem.

This stance was reiterated at a stakeholder engagement in Accra, organized by Identity Management Systems II (IMS II) Ltd. in collaboration with the National Identification Authority (NIA). The event, themed “Protect Every Transaction with Biometric Verification,” brought together representatives from BoG, the Ghana Association of Banks, the NIA, and all 25 universal banks in Ghana to discuss the critical role of identity verification in financial security