Parliament is set to probe armed robbery attacks on mobile money vendors.
The Defence and Interior Committee was asked to investigate the surge in robbery attacks on mobile money vendors in the country on Friday, July 9, 2021.
This was after the MPs for Ablekuma South and Dormaa East, Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije and Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah respectively raised concern over the matter.
The Committee is expected to submit its findings and its recommendations to the House in three weeks.
The directive was issued by the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako.
In a statement, Dr. Okoe Vanderpuije said: “Simply put Mr. Speaker, operating mobile money services is now a very risky business,” he added.
According to him, he had personally engaged the spokesperson of the Association of Mobile Money Vendors, Mr Charles Kwesi Addo, who complained that the attacks on members were rampant and has left them in fear.
“This threat to the lives of vendors must be addressed as soon as possible. These attackers are attacking lives, jobs, and an important service within our dear nation, Ghana,” he stated.
He advised vendors especially those who operate in huge facilities to install CCTV cameras at their business centres.
He also asked the government to support those who operate on table tops with soft loans so they could expand.
On his part Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah, called for protection for persons in the mobile money business.
He said data from the Bank of Ghana has indicated that over 100,000 jobs have been created due to the operation of mobile money services.
“Mobile money has become a way of supporting a lot of families in our country. Indeed, according to the Bank of Ghana reports, it analyzed the impact of mobile money in our country between 2015-16, the mobile money industry contributed over 500 million to our economy.
“It also stated that the industry has employed over 100, 000 people. Clearly, showing that it is an industry that we need to keep an eye on. It is an industry we need to support in every way. Therefore, it is important to fight these criminals that are trying to bring down such an important industry,” he stated.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com
