Daily Monitor
Tuesday June 01 2021
Summary
Standalone business. E-commerce platforms of Airtel Uganda and MTN Uganda have automatically become standalone businesses from their parent companies –the telecoms, a move that is likely to drive partnerships among payment service providers.
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Is it a good move, or a risky one? Whose business is it going to impact mostly? Is it the savers, banks or telecoms that have been managing mobile money services?
These are the lingering questions in the corridors, sparked off by the recent pronouncement by Bank of Uganda (BoU) Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile that the Central Bank had commenced licensing of payment system operators, payment service providers and issuers of payment instruments.
Daily Monitor
Monday May 24 2021
Telecoms will now be required to register new businesses under which mobile money shall be operated. PHOTO | FILE
Summary
The licences, which were issued at the weekend by the National Payment System department at Bank of Uganda, will seek to ensure overall effectiveness and integrity of payment systems in the country, including mobile money.
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Mobile money has been split as a standalone business which, going forward, will be regulated by Bank of Uganda as a financial service.
The move, which effectively takes mobile money away from telecom service operations, regulated by Uganda Communications Commission, has now been implemented with the issuance of financial services operator licences to Airtel Money, which will trade as Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda and MTN, which has placed its mobile money business under MTN Mobile Money Uganda.