JUBA – Ugandans doing business in South Sudan have reacted to the news that South Sudan’s National Communication Authority (NCA) has granted a license to a local firm to offer mobile money and other electronic cash transfers in a move largely seen as an attempt to streamline mobile money transactions across the country.The Director General NCA, Ladu Wani Kenyi, said on Monday December 3, the authority has given an operating license to Trinity Technologies and another unnamed company to start mobile money and electronic cash transfers in the country and across the region.
Many people in South Sudan have been relying on small, unlicensed mobile operators to transfer money enabled by MTN Uganda and Kenya’s M-Pesa platforms.
Prossy Namugere, a Ugandan shop attendant in Juba, said: “I am happy this has happened. We have always been cheated by unscrupulous mobile money service providers.”
“NCA has moved to protect us. This is good news for all of us doing business here,” Abu Ocol, a Ugandan salon operator in South Sudan, said.
Kenyi said these unlicensed transactions have been going on because there was no streamline alternative. more than 1 million South Sudanese live in neighbouring countries, most of them having fled conflicts.
Presently, MTN and Zain are the major telecom companies operating in South Sudan.
Speaking about the development, Richard Raja, the Director of Trinity Technologies, said their mobile money transfer services are a good development towards a cashless society.
