Danish govt hands over security printing equipment to ICPS
The Danish government has handed over a $3.5-million card and security printing equipment to Intelligent Card Production Systems (ICPS), manufacturers of plastic smart cards, in Accra.
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The equipment will enable the ICPS to undertake the printing of a full range of security documents, personalised identification cards (ID) and other secure government electronic ID cards.
It will also pave way for Ghanaian companies, particularly the banks, to locally manufacture and produce Euro, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) cards for their customers.
Currently, banks produce their ID cards, especially EMVs, in foreign companies.
Speaking at the hand over ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, the Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Margit Thompson, said the funds for the equipment were secured from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) Mixed Credit facility.
Present at the ceremony were the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Hanna Tetteh, and the Minister of State in charge of Public-Private Partnerships, Mr Rashid Pelpuo.
More opportunities
Mrs Thompson said the arrival of the equipment had paved the way for ICPS to become the only outlet in Ghana certified to manufacture and produce EMV and other highly secure international certified documents.
“Ghana no longer has to import ID cards because the equipment at the ICPS has the capacity to produce all kinds of ID cards and other essential documents,” she said.
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Elaborating on the support provided by the Danish government, she said over the past years, Danida funding had contributed towards the production and promotion of made-in-Ghana goods.
She said the Danish government was committed to supporting Ghanaian companies to grow to compete with foreign companies.
Margins Group vision
The Chief Executive Officer of the Margins Group, the parent company of the ICPS, Mr Moses Baiden, explained that the mixed credit facility was a bold step to enhance the operations of the company.
According to him, the ICPS had the capacity to produce up to 60 million cards per year, adding that the arrival of the equipment would boost the capacity of the company.
Government’s support
Mr Pelpuo commended the Danish government for supporting Ghanaian companies to grow, adding that the government would continue to create the enabling environment for local companies to thrive.