The largest telecommunication network in Ghana, MTN has promised to address all bottlenecks to ensure that MTN Mobile Money agents to offer quality services to customers.
General Manager, MTN Mobile Money Limited, Eli Hini, gave the promise during the MTN Stakeholders’ Conference held at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra on Wednesday.
It was part of the activities earmarked for the celebration of the MTN Mobile Month which was launched recently.
The conference was on the theme, ‘Let’s go cashless with Mobile Money by an enabling regulatory environment.’
The pledge was in response to complaints from some clients who cited excessive payments to agents during transactions at the forum.
Mr Hini said MTN Mobile Money, launched in 2009, was the very first mobile money service in Ghana and it was designed in line with the Branchless Banking Guidelines issued by the Central Bank in 2008.
He said the intention behind the introduction of the branchless banking guidelines was to use the channel to accelerate and deepen financial inclusion in the country.
He, however, pointed out that for the industry to thrive, it is incumbent on all stakeholders, led by the Central Bank, to ensure that the service is provided within a regulatory framework to support industry growth and protect the consumer from financial losses.
He stressed that the enabling regulatory framework will create an open and level playing field to foster competition and innovation, leverage the value proposition of both banks and non-banking institutions and allow providers to focus on refining operations and promote customer adoption.
On her part, the Manager of MFS Operations at MTN, Ruth Badoo, disclosed that the Mobile Financial Services Sector is growing at a phenomenal pace, with MTN leading the market with over 6 million customers and about 46,000 agents across the country.
Ms Badoo made the disclosure in her welcome address.
According to her, MTN’s passion for the cashless agenda is to drive home the importance of creating an enabling regulatory environment to support the continued growth of mobile financial services and enhance financial inclusion.
“We are seeing the usage of a wider range of services, including bill payment, salary payment, school fees payment, payment for goods and services and any others.”
She indicated that considering the digital economy’s convenience for undertaking financial transactions and its other benefits to the national economy, “the regulatory framework on which it is built must develop in a way that ensures its present and future sustainability for both the user and provider.”
Other stakeholders, who participated in the forum, were Clarissa Kudowor, Deputy Head of Payments, Bank of Ghana (BoG), Stephen Abban, Group Head for Personal Banking, Access Bank and Buddy Buruku, Country Manager, C-GAP.