Health

Government to make mobile money platforms interoperable

POTRAZ

By Joyce Mukucha

Government has noted that there is no easy of doing business in as far as Mobile Networks Operators are concerned. This is because Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) are not yet fully registered thereby wallet transfer have not been incorporated.

As a response to this, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security (ICT) has urged the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who offer digital financial services to consider making their services fully interoperable.

In the statement, the minister for ICT ,Supa Mandiwanzira said the ministry has noted with concern that though it has potential to send money to an unregistered customer on another network, the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data platforms for operators are not yet fully registered hence wallet to wallet funds transfer have not yet been integrated.

“The lack of interoperability of the mobile money platforms of the networks is a major barrier to effective competition and stalls further progress in the development of mobile money services interoperability also brings convenience to consumers and the ease of doing business,” reads the statement.

Currently, there is no interoperability transversely across all networks therefore, in the next coming months government will proceed with suitable methods to augment acquiescence within the industry.

“In the event that there is no interoperability across all networks by the set date of 1 April 2018, the government will take the appropriate measures to enhance compliance,” the statement reads.

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Byron Adonis Mutingwende