The Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs) Chamber of Ghana has denounced the ongoing assaults on mobile money agents, resulting in fatalities.
The Chamber expressed its sympathies to the families of the fallen mobile money agents whose lives were taken by certain unscrupulous individuals. “We also want to extend our condolences to the entire mobile money agents’ fraternity following the recent spate of attacks and killings,” The EMIs Chamber stressed in statement by Mr. Louis Bobbie Osei, Regulatory and Research Manager, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday.
Mobile money agents are critical in Ghana’s financial ecosystem, facilitating secure and accessible financial transactions for millions of Ghanaians. The alarming rise in attacks threatens their safety and the stability of the financial services ecosystem across the country.
“Their role is invaluable and must be protected.” Mr. Osei said, adding: “Three Mobile Money agents dying in one month is entirely unacceptable. One life lost is one too many.” He called for action to protect mobile money agents, from President John Dramani Mahama, the Interior and Finance Ministers, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to collaborate with EMIs to implement essential safety measures.
“We must take steps to protect all mobile money agents from these senseless attacks,” he stated. He expressed concern about the rising frequency of violent crimes targeting these agents, urging law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. As part of its commitment to ensuring the safety of mobile money agents, he said the Chamber was taking steps to engage the Ghana Police Service to develop effective security solutions.
“We will also collaborate with the Bank of Ghana on the Agent Registry and the Security of Agents project to provide protection for our partners,” he added. “We will work closely with relevant stakeholders to explore enhanced protection measures, improve law enforcement responses, and implement policy interventions to safeguard mobile money agents nationwide.”
“We want to state that “mobile money agents do not carry significant amounts of money on their person,” Mr. Osei said. He explained that mobile money transactions were predominantly digital, significantly minimizing cash handling through structured financial processes. “We urge the public to support efforts to protect agents rather than propagate falsehoods that fuel these attacks,” he said.
Mr. Osei issued a call for mobile money agents to strengthen their security measures, emphasizing the importance of taking urgent action to safeguard themselves first. He stated that though the EMIs Chamber expected swift action from security agencies, it strongly advised all mobile money agents to implement precautionary measures.
He suggested that Agents avoid transporting large sums of cash and conducting transactions in isolated locations and should invest in CCTV cameras, panic alarms, and security systems at their operating points. It urged them to ensure that their shops and agencies were known to the nearest police station for their Motor Bicycle Visibility Team to regularly patrol around the locations.
The Chamber reiterated its commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to address the security threats and urged the Government, the Ministry of Interior, the National Security apparatus, and the Ghana Police Service to prioritize the safety of mobile money agents.
Source: GNA
