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NSA adopts GHANA.GOV platform for payments, revenue collection

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The National Service Au­thority (NSA) has digitised its payment system, transitioning to a cashless system. Cash payments are no longer allowed at the au­thority, officials have said.

The NSA’s latest decision aligns with the government’s drive to modernise revenue collection.

The GHANA.GOV web portal used by the government for revenue mobilisation is the platform the NSA is leveraging its digital payment transition.

According to the Direc­tor-General of NSA, Mr Felix Gyamfi, the NSA’s clients includ­ing agencies and stakeholders are now required to make all pay­ments to the authority through the GHANA.GOV platform.

This digital payment system, he said, offers unparalleled transpar­ency, convenience, and acces­sibility, enabling users to make payments any day and time from anywhere in the country.

“The (link unavailable) plat­form provides a unified digital avenue for accessing government services, offering a range of seamless payment options, which includes bank cards, mobile money, online banking, QR Code, account-to-account trans­fer, SWIFT Transfer, and ACH Transfer,” he stated.

Mr Felix Gyamfi said in a statement that users would be able to make payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from anywhere across the country.

This flexibility eliminates the need to physically visit a payment centre or wait in a queue to pay at the authority, saving users time and effort.

Furthermore, the digital pay­ment system which is a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is so accessible that one can make payments anywhere at any given time by using various devices and platforms, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

The system’s accessibility is also enhanced by its user-friend­ly interface, the platform is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple for users to find the information they need and complete transactions quickly and efficiently.

To make it inclusive for all, he said the Ghana.gov platform has several payment options, so clients who were not conver­sant with technology and digital systems could use the money phone option by dialling *222* and follow the prompt to make payments.

About GHANA.GOV

platform

The GHANA.Gov platform became operational in July 2021 to facilitate access and payments for government services and pro­mote transparency and visibility of internally generated funds.

State agencies like the Pass­port Office, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Lands Commission, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the National Information Tech­nology Authority, the Registrar General’s Department, and the National Schools Inspectorate Authority have already adopted the platform for their payments and revenue collection.

As at February 2024, 1507 agencies had operationalised the platform.

Over GH¢210 billion worth of transactions had taken place via the Ghana.gov platform as gov­ernment revenue since it was in­troduced, underscoring the plat­form’s pivotal role in streamlining financial transactions, enhancing transparency, and bolstering the nation’s fiscal integrity.

Ghana makes progress

on cashless payment

A cashless payment system is a method of conducting transac­tions electronically, where indi­viduals pay for goods or services without using physical cash.

Instead, they rely on digital methods such as credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallets, online banking transfers, digital wallets, or other electronic payment plat­forms to transfer funds directly between accounts.

The digital payment system introduced by NSA is a signif­icant leap forward in terms of transparency, convenience, and accessibility, while empowering users to make payments at any time and from any location with­in the country.

Potential challenges

With this transition, Ghana takes a significant leap towards joining the ranks of countries embracing digital payments and promoting a cashless economy like the United States, United Kingdom, China, Brazil and South Korea.

The proliferation of digital payment systems relies heavily on the availability and reliability of strong and steady network connectivity.

There are many communities still without reliable network connectivity to support efficient adaptation of the NSA’s pre­ferred digital payment system.

The NSA’s decision to go dig­ital is a significant step towards achieving the government’s ob­jective of establishing a cashless economy, but fixing the connec­tivity problem would be a boost.

As the country also continues on this path of a cashless econ­omy, there are concerns about associated risks of fraud. NSA officials are hopeful the GHA­NA.GOV platform is robust to make it safer for transactions.

“And so whatever you do from your end is secure and privately, and same at our end too, and once we do any business with them on the Ghana.gov, immedi­ately they get their alert, they get their invoices onto their secure emails which is very safe and secure,” Director of Corporate Affairs of NSA, Mr Armstrong Esaah assured.

We can assure our partners and clients that the Ghana.gov platform is very safe, very, very secure, very convenient, so we want to encourage all of them to use this payment option,” he added.

This report is produced un­der the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Af­rica (MFWA) and Co-Develop

BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA

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Features

 Preventing fire disasters

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 I got a phone call a couple of weeks ago and when I picked up my phone to see who was calling me, I saw it was my sister. When I responded, I heard to my sur­prise the voice of my brother-in-law who had returned to Ghana and was calling to say hello.

This man’s voice immedi­ately reminded me of the June 3 fire disaster near Kwame Nkrumah Circle. It was just by God’s grace that he escaped that unfortunate incident that has severely impacted many lives in the country.

I recently watched a heart wrenching spectacle of a woman wailing uncontrollably on TV, because of the calam­ity that has befallen her as a result of a fire disaster. When interviewed, her predicament was revealed regarding how she was going to pay for a loan she had just contracted when the stock of items she had invested the funds in, had all been destroyed by fire.

Still on the subject of suf­fering as a result of fire disas­ters, I could hardly hold my tears as I heard the moanings of agony from a patient who had received severe burns covering almost 90 per cent of his body.

It was indeed a terrible sight and it reminded me of another fire disaster that led to the burning to death of a former work colleague when his house caught fire. A policy of dealing with fire disaster prevention, must be established immediately or the existing ones improved to take care of the current challenges of fire disasters.

As someone who comes from an industry where safety cannot be compromised, I take special interest in safety issues. Watching the news on TV last week, a nurse nar­rated how most of the burns cases that were brought to the hospital involved chil­dren, who were burned as a result of hot water splashing on someone through horse play, fighting etc.

These are cases that could have been avoided, if parents had been a bit more careful in taking care of their chil­dren. Apart from the pain that patients suffering from burns endure, the psycho­logical trauma that the scars resulting from their injuries creates, in some instances, they cause mental challenges like schizophrenia, suicidal tendencies etc. What has to be done to prevent fire disasters must seriously en­gage the attention of policy makers.

An educational drive of fire prevention must be estab­lished so every Ghanaian will begin to appreciate the hazard fire poses and what can be done to prevent fires in our homes, workplace, schools, offices etc.

This education must start from the kindergarten level right up to the tertiary level. The good book says train a child the way he should go and when he grows, he will not depart from it. Govern­ment organisations like the Information Services De­partment under the Ministry of Information and Nation Commission for Civic Educa­tion (NCCE) as well as Na­tional Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), should be encouraged to execute a concerted effort to ensure a successful educational pro­gramme for fire prevention.

The first thing that needs to be done is to implement enforcement of fire extin­guishers being present in ev­ery house, being of the right type and the right capacity. Basic things like switching off the main power source in the event of electrical fire in the house must be taught.

I believe the outreach programme should involve churches, various women groups, various departments and organisations both private and public and finally various associations.

NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’

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Features

 Preventing the brain’s melting point with BOS

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 The human brain is a complex and delicate organ, susceptible to damage from various factors, including extreme tempera­tures.

The brain’s melting point, also known as the tempera­ture threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to de­grade, is a critical concern for individuals seeking to maintain optimal cognitive function.

Fortunately, the Brain Operating System (BOS) offers a revolutionary solution to prevent the brain’s melting point.

Understanding the brain’s melting point

The brain’s melting point refers to the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, leading to irreversible dam­age.

This temperature threshold varies depending on individual factors, such as age, health, and environmental conditions. However, research suggests that the brain’s melting point is approximately 104°F (40°C) to 107°F (42°C).

The role of BOS in pre­venting the brain’s melting point

BOS, a cutting-edge tech­nology, plays a crucial role in preventing the brain’s melting point. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain tempera­ture, ensuring that it remains within a safe range.

How BOS prevents the brain’s melting point

BOS prevents the brain’s melting point through several mechanisms:

1. Temperature regulation: BOS continuously monitors brain temperature, adjusting neural activity to maintain a stable temperature.

2. Heat dissipation: BOS enhances heat dissipation through increased blood flow and sweating.

3. Neuro protection: BOS protects neurons from heat-induced damage.

Benefits of BOS in prevent­ing the brain’s melting point

The benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point are numerous:

1. Prevents brain damage: BOS prevents brain damage caused by excessive heat.

2. Maintains cognitive function: BOS ensures optimal cognitive function by main­taining stable brain tempera­ture.

3. Enhances brain resil­ience: BOS enhances brain resilience to temperature fluctuations.

Real-World applications of BOS

BOS has various real-world applications:

1. High-performance computing: BOS enables high-performance computing by maintaining optimal brain temperature.

2. Medical applications: BOS has medical applications, such as treating heat-related illnesses.

3. Space exploration: BOS is crucial for space explora­tion, where extreme tempera­tures pose a significant risk.

Conclusion

BOS is a revolutionary technology that prevents the brain’s melting point, ensur­ing optimal cognitive function and overall well-being. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial in­telligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, protecting against heat-relat­ed damage.

Glossary:

1. BOS: Brain Operating System.

2. Brain’s melting point: Temperature threshold be­yond which brain tissue begins to degrade.

3. Neural interface: Con­nects human brain with digital devices.

Contact Information

virginvtech@yahoo.com

Additional resources:

1. BOS research: Explore scientific studies.

2. Neural interface re­sources: Discover books and articles.

3. Brain-computer in­terface communities: Join online forums.

Future directions

As BOS technology continues to evolve, we can expect:

1. Improved temperature regulation: Enhanced tem­perature regulation mecha­nisms.

2. Increased cognitive enhancement: Advanced cognitive enhancement capa­bilities.

3. Expanded applications: New applications in various fields.

By harnessing the power of BOS, individuals can safe­guard their brain health and maintain optimal cognitive function, even in extreme environments.

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Features

The Prophet part 8

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‘Suzzie and Mary, I want to speak with you about a dream I had about the two of you last night. You seem to be in some relationship that will bring seri­ous problems in the near future. I won’t ask you what relationship it is, because I know you won’t tell me.

But I must tell you what I have been telling you for quite some time now. The only One who has real solutions to problems or needs is Jesus Christ, and whatever your problems or needs are, you must seek Him, His way. Whatever business or personal relationships you are entering into, I advise you to be careful, because it will bring problems in the near future. That will be all for now’.

‘Listen, Elizabeth’, Mary start­ed. ‘What do you take us for? Do you think we are stupid, dumb girls who don’t know what is good for us? We are highly intelligent girls, who are trying to use our minds to establish something by way of business. It just happens that our stepping stone to capital is a so called man of God.

We are providing a service to him, and he is rewarding us well. There’s no question of our doing anything else with him. So if you don’t mind, spare us the preach­ing, at least for a while. You know the struggles we have been going through lately.

Things are tough. We have made several attempts at getting decent jobs, but all the people we meet want to sleep with us before helping us. And we’ve promised ourselves that we will never give ourselves to any man for a job, no matter how attrac­tive. Just wait and see. In only a short while you will see us run­ning decent businesses, making decent money. And I can assure you, we will help family members and anyone we meet, who needs help’.

‘But if I may ask, the one for whom you are providing the service, this Antubam guy, isn’t he just a crook, a fraud? What’s wrong with you two? This guy is just taking advantage of gullible people, especially women. He defrauds them of their money, and he sends you to perform errands for him, and you say you are per­forming a service?

Are you not simply helping him to commit fraud? You may not face any consequences today for your actions, but you can­not avoid punishment one day. Please, Mary and Suzie, stay away from this man. Be patient and pray, sooner or later you will find something rewarding to do’. ‘You know how patient we have been’, Mary said. We’ve prayed. We have gone out of our way to help people in need. And we have gone job hunting days, weeks and months on end. Nothing.

Something promising has come up, and here you are asking us to stop it and go back to the gutter. Sorry my sister. No way’. ‘By the way’, Suzie said, ‘Pastor Antubam thinks you are real­ly beautiful. He’s always asking about you, he says he wants to meet you. Would you like to meet him?’ ‘Of course I would like to meet him. Bring him here. I would certainly like to meet him’. ‘And you won’t be rude to him?’

‘Of course not. Have you ever seen me behave rudely towards anyone or insult anyone? He’s a human being like all of us, and you say he wants to meet me. Let him come, and I will certain­ly have a discussion with him’. ‘Okay then’, Mary said. ‘We will tell him. He will certainly be glad to hear that. Actually Eliz­abeth, he’s not a bad guy. You may not agree with his stand on religious issues, but you can have a decent exchange with him’. ‘Exactly. I will have a decent ex­change with him, so bring him he re’. ‘So what if he offers you some money? Will you accept it?’ ‘Why must he offer me money, when I have not sold anything to him, or performed any service to him as you say you have been doing. I hope he doesn’t offer me money because I won’t accept it, and I may not be very polite if he does’.

Antubam was excited to hear the news. So Elizabeth was willing to see him. After what he had heard about her, she was one of those with their noses stuck in the Bible, praying at dawn and at night. But there seemed to be hop. The girl was naturally beau­tiful.

And her confidence, instead of frightening him, rather attracted him. There was not way he would leave all his women and stick to only her, but he would give her some priority. He would buy her some nice dresses, and show her off in restaurants and public places.

He could even marry her. He would make her such a big offer that she would consider leaving her job. So he arranged the time. The two ladies were going to be in town running various errands for him. So he would go alone, just when she returned home from work. It was going to be brutally nice, he told himself.

By Ekow de Heer

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