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ENABLING MOBILE MONEY POLICIES IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Interoperability
At this stage, BCC regards e-money as a fledgling market and is extremely cautious about openly encouraging mobile money platforms
to interconnect. BCC’s reticence comes from dialogue with e-money providers and assessments of developments in countries such
as Pakistan (where the central bank and private sector are working together to develop a road map for an interoperable environment
that would add value to customers and make commercial sense for the providers) and Ghana (where interoperability was imposed on
providers at an early stage of market development, with high implementation costs and without achieving the desired outcomes).
The central bank has concluded that mandating interoperability at an early stage is likely to jeopardise market development across the
DRC. Currently, e-money can be sent from any mobile money account to any mobile customer, even if that customer is not in the same
provider’s network.
Customer confidence and education
All mobile money providers, as well as policymakers, agree that the biggest challenge of driving customer adoption is raising
awareness of the advantages of mobile money and how to use the services most eectively.
In the end, it will all depend on customer trust and how much all players, including the central bank, will be available to invest in
educating customers. If this is done well, there could be an impressive growth of the mobile money market.
Mireille Kabamba Mwika
Director of Mobile Money
Airtel DRC
13
Interoperability
At this stage, BCC regards e-money as a fledgling market and is extremely cautious about openly encouraging mobile money platforms
to interconnect. BCC’s reticence comes from dialogue with e-money providers and assessments of developments in countries such
as Pakistan (where the central bank and private sector are working together to develop a road map for an interoperable environment
that would add value to customers and make commercial sense for the providers) and Ghana (where interoperability was imposed on
providers at an early stage of market development, with high implementation costs and without achieving the desired outcomes).
The central bank has concluded that mandating interoperability at an early stage is likely to jeopardise market development across the
DRC. Currently, e-money can be sent from any mobile money account to any mobile customer, even if that customer is not in the same
provider’s network.
Customer confidence and education
All mobile money providers, as well as policymakers, agree that the biggest challenge of driving customer adoption is raising
awareness of the advantages of mobile money and how to use the services most eectively.
In the end, it will all depend on customer trust and how much all players, including the central bank, will be available to invest in
educating customers. If this is done well, there could be an impressive growth of the mobile money market.
Mireille Kabamba Mwika
Director of Mobile Money
Airtel DRC
13
