Fact CheckPolitics

Ghana not only country to deliver mobile money interoperability system

Claim: Flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has claimed that Ghana is the only African country to use Mobile Money interoperability which is mobile money account to account (A2A) and mobile money to bank transactions.

Verdict: False

Full Text

Flagbearer aspirant of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has claimed that Ghana is the only African country to deliver on mobile money interoperability.

He said Ghana is the only country to deliver mobile money account-to-account (A2A) and mobile money to bank transactions.

The Vice President said so during his campaign tour in the Ashanti Region. The claim was found when excerpts of his campaign message to delegates were played on a show called the ‘Citi’uation Room on Citi TV.  It can be found from 33:55-34:23 of the show streamed on YouTube on Thursday, July 13, 2023. 

Touting his digitalisation achievement, Dr Bawumia indicated, 

“We have brought Mobile Money Interoperability. Today, you can send money from your MTN to a different account like Vodafone. You can also transfer money from your bank account to your mobile money account. You couldn’t do this first. Ghana is the only country in Africa to have done this.

Verification

Mobile Money Interoperability is the service that allows the direct and seamless transfer of money from one mobile money wallet to another across networks. When mobile money interoperability is commercially viable, it has the potential to significantly reduce an economy’s reliance on cash, which in turn introduces a range of benefits for consumers, businesses, and governments alike.

Ghana on Thursday, May 10, 2018, launched its mobile money interoperability system.

Key among the features of this system is to create convenience for mobile money users to transact business and drive financial inclusion. It also provides a financial transaction engine that is versatile, efficient, and robust and enhances patronage by both banked and unbanked segments of the population. 

Is Ghana the only African country to deliver mobile money account-to-account (A2A) transactions? 

No!. DUBAWA’s findings reveal that several African countries operate mobile money interoperability. The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) represents the interests of mobile money operators worldwide. Its 2019 report reveals that countries including Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda all use mobile money interoperability.

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Source: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

In Kenya, its Central Bank announced the complete interoperability of mobile money payment services on July 15, 2022. 

Source: Central Bank of Kenya.

Is Ghana the only African country to deliver mobile money and bank integrations?  

Our search found that Uganda operates a bank for mobile money transactions. The website of Absa Uganda indicates customers can move money from their Absa accounts to their mobile money. 

Similarly, the website of Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited also confirms that bank-to-mobile money transaction is possible in Uganda. 

Conclusion 

Dr Bawumia’s assertion that Ghana is the only country in Africa to use Mobile Money interoperability, which is mobile money account to account (A2A) and mobile money to bank transactions, is false.

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