Ghana Elections Election 2012 Election 2008 r/o Election 2008 Election 2004 Election 2000 r/o Election 2000 Election 1996 “Ridiculous” Kofi Kapito Tells British High Commission

Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Rights Protection Agency, Kofi Kapito has kicked against the British High Commission's directive to Ghanaians to use Visa or Credit cards in applying for UK Visa. The British High Commission has since January this year refused to take payment for UK Visas in cash. The Commission now runs an online visa application system but applicants were given the option to either pay with credit card online, or in cash at the submission point. This therefore cancels the cash payment system and the Commission insists that applicants pay for visas with internationally recognized Visa Card, MasterCard or Skrill Credit card. The orders by the British High Commission seem to have riled the Consumer Rights Protection Agency Boss, who is vehemently calling for a re-introduction of the cash payment system. According to him, though he wouldn't entirely kick against the online application system or the use of the Visa Cards; the British High Commission is discriminating against the Ghanaian citizenry. Kofi Kapito explained in an interview on Radio Gold, that taking the Ghanaian landscape into perspective, the new order may inconvenience the citizens. He expounded that the Ghanaian setting is accustomed to the cash payment system and so, wondered how many Ghanaians hold Visa or Master cards; to meet the qualifications specified by the British High Commission. Kofi Kapito berated the British High Commission over what he believed is a ' ridiculous' offer given to Ghanaians. “In a country like ours where it is a cash society; it is not proper for them to take liberty of you or me being able to pay cash…What this means is they are technically telling you that they don’t want Ghana cedis… “Being this country, not just this country…another form of payment should be available in the form of cash…This thing that they do, to me, is very very discriminatory in the sense that what people forget is Ghana is a sovereign country. What is even annoying is we have actually accepted these foreign embassies in our country as our visitors." He sought to find out from the British Embassy if same measure of treatment would be meted out to other foreign nationals from the United States of America and Germany. He asked “are they asking people in America to pay with credit cards only? Are they asking people in Germany to pay with credit cards only? Is it because we are Africans?” Kofi Kapito therefore called on the British Embassy to maintain the cash payment system to afford Ghanaians the opportunity to move to the United Kingdom. “How many Ghanaians even have bank accounts to start with? How many even have this ordinary ATM card? And how many of them even have the new electronic card called VISA…?" he questioned.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana