Mobile Telecommunications Company MTN Ghana has reiterated its resolve to expand the provision of innovative financial services and digital payment options as it marks 15 years of introducing MTN Mobile Money in Ghana.
General Manager MTN Northern Business District, Nii Adotey Mingle gave the assurances in Kumasi at the anniversary Market Launch held on the theme “15 years of empowering communities and accelerating financial and digital inclusion in Ghana.”
He indicated, looking ahead, we see a future of endless possibilities for MTN MOMO and Ghana’s digital payment sector. We are excited to continue our innovation, economic inclusion, and empowerment. We will keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible; explore modern technologies and create solutions that meet the challenging needs of our valued customers and Ghanaians
The digital financial service was launched in Ghana at a crucial time an overwhelming majority of the Ghanaian population, faced significant barriers that frontally excluded them from the stiff-jacketed financial system.
Leveraging the boom in the telecommunications sector subscriber base and the fast-growing use of mobile phones, MTN MOMO took off with overwhelming acceptance among the underbanked and unbanked who were estimated to be well above 70% of the country’s population.
MTN MOMO’s exponential growth which now stands at more than 15 million subscribers was further driven by Ghana’s Informal Sector which employs more than 70% of the country’s economic active workforce and contributes 80% of Ghana’s GDP
Nii Adotey Mingle expressed profound appreciation for the collective successes chalked by MTN Ghana, subscribers, agents, and partners in deploying MTN MOMO which has become a widely embraced solution to the financial needs of Ghanaians.
“It’s been a long journey which started with sending and receiving money and saving money on your MOMO wallets. Today, it has become a bigger platform for all sorts of financial transactions including insurance, payment of bills, remittances and the list goes on.
“We believe collaborations and partnerships play a crucial role in expanding Ghana’s digital payments ecosystem. As we embrace innovation, we will be rewarded with a more inclusive sector that transforms lives, accelerates socio-economic inclusion, and creates opportunities for all,” Mingle added.
Cyber Crime and Momo Fraud
The launch afforded the Crime and Cyber Security Unit of the Ghana Police Service, a platform to reiterate the need for personal responsibility and utmost caution in protecting digital wallets from fraudsters.
A detective with the Ashanti Regional Cyber Crime Unit; Detective Sergeant Daniel Ofori outlined a number of sophisticated schemes miscreants are adopting to defraud both users and agents of mobile financial services.
Apart from the call for strict nondisclosure of one’s PIN, he specifically urged the public not to entertain unsolicited calls, and encouraged agents to make an effort to verify the identities of clients
He urged agents to be diligent to re-count money from any person who initiates and stops a money transfer request, but shortly returns with the same bag or envelope to continue the process as many agents have been shortchanged.
Leaders representing mother bodies of mobile money agents in the Ashanti, Bono, and Ahafo Regions, urged their fold to be security conscious in their choices of business locations and working hours, to reduce the risk of attacks from armed robbers
Market Queens Appreciation
Conspicuously represented at the 15th MTN MOMO Anniversary Market launch were scores of Market Queens from the Kumasi Central Market, Kejetia Market, and Asafo Market.
The Head of the caucus of Market Queens, the ‘Bayere Hemmaa’ (Yam Sellers’ Queen) Nana Yaa Foowaa was thankful the service had saved many traders who traveled long distances to buy foodstuff, from highway robbers.
“In the past, we traveled with large sums of money swaddled to our sides and often got attacked by highway robbers. Now, we just have to transfer the cash to the trader from our mobile phones so those incidents have stopped”, she told reporter Ivan Heathcote-Fumador.
Anniversary Activities
Under its Northern Business District management, MTN Ghana will hold MOMO@15 walks along principal streets of regional capitals and major commercial towns.
Street activations will be mounted at the Racecourse Market, the Kejetia Market, Tech Junction, and the Ejisu Market and transport stations.
MTN will organize MOMO Fraud Roadshows among the populace to propagate the Golden Rules for warding off mobile money fraudsters.
The anniversary will be crowned with a National Stakeholders Dinner and Awards Ceremony in November, to appreciate clients, agents, channel partners and other winners of MTN activations.
Promotions:
Across the duration of the 15th MTN MOMO Anniversary commemoration, customers will be treated to a series of freebies and giveaways while using the new MY MOMO App or transacting on the MTN MOMO platform.
Customers who download the new MY MOMO app from app stores get to refer others for a reward of 300 megabytes of data while a download will gift the customer 200 megabytes of data.
Customers making payments unto merchant wallets within a stipulated period will receive 50% refund of transaction charges in a ‘MOMO cashback’ arrangement.
From the 15th to the 29th of August, Person to Person and Person to Merchant transactions will enjoy transfer charge waivers.
MTN Ghana has also mounted transact and win packages on the MY MOMO App alongside an answer and win bonanza on its Social Media handles to hand out more giveaways to the public.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
