Liberia’s leading mobile telecommunication giant Lonestar Cell MTN in partnership with the Government of Liberia through the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) launches water bills payment scheme, using mobile money platform for customers.
The Company says the launch will create an opportunity, and give customers courage in paying their water bills to the LWSC at their comfort, without the stress of going to the bank or standing in long queues to make payment.
Addressing a cross section of government officials from Line Ministries and Agencies Wednesday, 22 August during official launch of the water bill payment scheme at the LWSC sub-office in Fish Market opposite the James Spriggs Payne Airport in the Sinkor suburb of Monrovia Lonestar Cell MTN head of Mobile Money Attorney Massa Dennis says the initiative will create an enabling environment for citizens especially, LWSC customers.
“I’m delighted to be here at this launch, as the government seeks to provide economic vitalization for its citizens thru this service today, which is a testament of Lonestar Cell commitment to working with all stakeholders to realize such plans”, Attorney Dennis notes.
Giving an example of the importance of mobile money platform, she says in the absence of mobile money, some teachers in Lofa County, and other counties found it difficult to receive their monthly salary, citing that teachers are constrained to travel from one town to the city in rough terrain just to get their money, after which they end up sleeping with families due to early closure of the bank or long standing, among others.
“But with the launching of this mobile money platform, those teachers don’t necessarily have to travel; all they can do is to sit at their respective schools, or wherever and receive their salary or send money to families members using the mobile money platform.”
According to her, over four thousand civil servants are receiving salary thru the mobile money platform, and “we think the launch here with the LWSC will go way beyond the partnership between the private sector and the government.”
The Mobile Money platform is not just creating access to financial services, but also creating means of livelihood for over 3,000 mobile money agents that are spread across the country to help Liberians get their payment done easily.
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LWSC Managing Director Duannah A. Kamara expresses delight over the initiative between his entity and the Lonestar Cell family, saying this project is a unique one and I’m very much delighted because it eases tension of for valuable customers.
MD Kamara notes the launch is a clear beginning of change in Liberia that if “we can take our process to the people, we can make more money, because if we sit at the office and think that customers will go for bills then it is impossible.
Kamra recalls when he took office at the LWSC, he thought to do something to take the business to the people, and that’s how the idea of launching the bill payment platform came to being, noting that in every bill, customers will have eight-digit numbers that would enable them pay their bills.
Lonestar Cell MTN in partnership with the Ministry of Education recently launched mobile tuition payment scheme for public school students in Monrovia and its environs, the first ever in the country.
The company is in direct partnership with the Ministry of Education in carrying out the scheme that aims at easing stress faced by students standing in long queues at commercial banks to pay tuition. -Editing by Jonathan Browne
