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Ghana to require mobile money licence for non-banks
2015-07-09 11:16:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) Ghana's central bank (BoG) has introduced a new set of guidelines for telecommunication companies engaged in mobile money services. They will have up to six months to establish a separate business entity to handle their electronic money services. Under the guidelines, which became effective on 06 July, non-banks that have previously been offering mobile financial services in partnership with banks must apply within six months of the guidelines coming into effect for a licence, in order to conform to the new framework. The objective of the latest guidelines, the Bank of Ghana said, is to "ensure that electronic money is only provided by a financial institutions regulated under the Banking Act, or duly licenced non-bank entities which are engaged solely in the business of e-money and activities related or incidental to the business of e-money, and which are regulated and supervised by the Bank of Ghana". Three of the six mobile operators in Ghana - MTN, Airtel and Tigo - are involved in the mobile money business, which has grown from a transaction value of GHS 2.4 billion in 2013 to GHS 11.6 billion last year. The new regulation will mean that MTN, Tigo, and Airtel have a 06 January 2016 deadline to conform to the BoG's requirements.
Tags: money
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Category:Telecommunications