Mobile Money Agents take on MTN-Ghana; Demands Transparency

The Leadership and Members of Mobile Money Advocacy Group (MOMAG) are demanding from one of Ghana’s Telecommunication giants to be transparent on all sides of the Mobile Money Business.

According to the group, it is about time MTN sees Mobile Money Agents as strategic stakeholders whose interest and business sustenance should be seen as paramount in decisions the Company take relating to them.

“We are demanding transparency in our transaction with MTN in all aspects of the Mobile Money Business. We also want to see the commissions on all charges thus Agents Transactions (AT) with customers,” a statement signed by the National Secretary for MOMAG and copied to the media reads.
The group also touched the Insurance Scheme launched last year for the agents, on the fact that the Scheme need to be structured in a manner that the agents will earn its full benefits.

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Below is the full statement.
30th March, 2021

STOP BLOCKING AGENTS SIM CARDS; SUSTAIN THE MOBILE MONEY BUSINESS

The Leadership and Members of Mobile Money Advocacy Group (MOMAG) want to commend MOBILE MONEY LIMITED for the bold step with the introduction and implementation of the Identification (ID) Card by customers who patronise the services of Mobile Money Agents across the country.

We see the move expected to commence on 2nd April, 2021 as a protective measure for our members who have suffered in the hands of fraudsters. In some occasions, our members are wrongfully arrested and molested as a result of issues bothering on identification among others.

As key stakeholders in the Mobile Money Business who have made Mobile Money Limited a big part of the financial sector, we expect that they treat us with fairness and not introduce directives that will collapse our businesses which eventually add onto the already huge unemployment situation in the country.

We are demanding transparency in our transaction with MTN in all aspects of the Mobile Money Business. We also want to see the commissions on all charges thus Agents Transactions (AT) with customers.
However, it will be instructive to note that agents who perform a transaction worth Ghc 1,000.00 receive Ghc5.00 as commission, same as agents who perform GHC10, 000 at a time. We have waited for Mobile Money Limited to call us regarding this commission as we have written in previous letters but to no avail. We expect that they call us (Agents) to the table for a discussion and a review on this very low commission and other related issues that affects us, such as the third party charges and the Agency agreement signed after many years of working with Mobile Money Limited.

That aside, in as much as we commend them on the Insurance Scheme for Mobile Money Agents, we are of the view that it should be reviewed and well explained so the Agents can really benefit and utilize the scheme.

Addressing the media at the MTN-House on October 27th 2020 in Accra during the launching of the Insurance Scheme for Momo Agents, the General Manager (MD) for the Mobile Money Limited, Eli Hini underscored how we (Agents) contributed immensely to the Mobile Money Business.
“The agents represent the life blood to the successful implementation of Mobile Money Business over the years because they have been the point of interaction with our cherished customers. The support they have given and the service they have rendered are what have brought us this far and as well transformed the service that we all see and attest to today,” the General Manager Mr. Eli Hini noted.

MTN Mobile Money Limited from the start had rules aimed at giving us agents optimal revenue increase such as limited number of agents at a particular area or location except for very busy areas such as the Accra Central Business District among others. MTN couldn’t implement this and allowed very close proximity of agents at non busy areas. Guess what happens, we have low sales as a result of MTN’s negligence in that regard.

Mobile Money Agents are not happy with issues surrounding our businesses and by this release call on the Government to protect our businesses in order to prevent job losses and creation of unemployment by the directives from MTN Mobile Money Limited.

Thank you

National Secretary
(MOMAG)
Contact: 0240676821, 0245543183

CC:
1. Ministry of Communication
2. National Communications Authority
3. Bank of Ghana
4. Ministry of Finance
5. MTN Mobile Money Limited
6. Telecoms Chamber
7. All Agents
8. All Media Houses

By Isaac Dzidzoamenu