GPL registers largest frequent transactions

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Inc (GT&T) is looking to include a platform to its mobile money services (MMG) in which companies can have the option to pay their employees through the service by transferring their salaries in full or part to their mobile phones.

This was disclosed by head of the MMG service, Eshwar Thakurdin, during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle earlier this week.

Thakurdin said the platform on which mobile money is being operated is one which has been tried and tested in several developed countries, and received good reviews.

He disclosed that the payment of payroll will serve as very beneficial to persons working in remote areas and who are not readily able to make visits to banks to make cash withdrawals.

The Chronicle was told that in addition to the payroll arrangement, which the company is feverishly working towards, ongoing discussions are at an advance stage with at least one major commercial bank which, once confirmed, will see persons having the option of transferring funds to and from their account using their mobile phones.

Thakurdin was asked about the merchants who have partnered with the company and the responses from the members of the public in utilising the service. He said the company has discovered that customers of the Guyana Power and Light are the ones who use the bill payment aspect of mobile money more than any of the other bill payment services.

Asked the reason for this according to the company’s research, Thakurdin said that the many persons who have properties in and out of remote areas, as well as normal individuals, tend to capitalise on the service, since there is no need to join lines.

He further posited that persons who have operations in remote areas tend to send their payments to GPL through the MMG services rather than going into the commercial offices, and this also applies to persons who may have to travel at last notice but have to ensure that their bills are paid. Those are also done from remote areas, he related.

In addition, with the GPL bill payment service available through Mobile Money, persons can purchase credit for the prepaid meters anytime of the day or night, and the token number will automatically send to their mobile devices which they need to replenish their meters with.

The payment of post-paid bills is also facilitated by the service, the manager told the Chronicle.
Thakurdin encouraged persons to sign up for the service, which is free, especially for the upcoming Christmas season, when many persons tend to move around with cash. He reiterated that there is a flooring of $500 which should be in the phone, while the ceiling is presently $400,000.

The company executive also reiterated the need for little or no fear when it comes to losing the mobile devices with the money inside, since those funds are secured and protected by a pin number which only the owner of the phone should know.

If a phone goes missing, all its owner needs to do is replace the sim-card and the money would again be available to him/her, Thakurdin reminded.

(By Leroy Smith)