Former vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has praised StarOil Ghana Ltd for launching a nationwide “Fuel Now, Pay Later” program that allows motorists to buy fuel on credit using the Ghana Card and the country’s new individualized credit-scoring system.
In a statement Tuesday, Dr. Bawumia said the initiative demonstrates how Ghana’s digital infrastructure can support a modern consumer-credit economy. He said he first introduced the credit-scoring framework last year, despite skepticism about whether such a system could work in the fuel sector.
“A credit economy is vital in making life less stressful for many people in advanced economies,” Dr. Bawumia wrote. He added that Ghana has already built the “foundational pillars” needed for such a system, citing the Ghana Card, the national digital address system and the interoperable mobile money platform.
The new program allows eligible customers to access fuel on credit and repay based on their credit score, which is tied to their national identification data. Dr. Bawumia described the move as bold and commended the company’s CEO Kwame Tieku for adopting the system ahead of competitors.
He urged other Oil Marketing Companies and local businesses to integrate the credit-scoring tool into their operations to give workers more flexibility in purchasing essential goods and services. “Ghanaian workers need the option of buying goods and services on credit and paying with ease,” he said.
The launch marks one of the first commercial deployments of Ghana’s national credit-scoring architecture, which officials view as a central component of the country’s long-term digital-economic strategy.