Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Casimir Vodjo
Published on 2024-03-21 18:41:31
The mobile operator MTN Benin, in partnership with Ecobank Benin, launched a digitalized microfinance solution called “Prêt Xpress” in Cotonou on Thursday, in the presence of the Minister of Digitalization, Aurelie Adam SOULE ZOUMAROU, and the Minister of Social Affairs and Microfinance, Véronique Tognifodé Mewanou. With this new service, MTN subscribers can request and obtain a loan directly in their Mobile Money wallet.
To facilitate access to financial services so that financial concerns are no longer a stress or a problem for every Beninese, MTN Mobile Money has partnered with Ecobank Benin and the Dubai-based global financial technology company Optasia to launch the first micro-loan service product “Prêt Xpress”. This highly anticipated service targets “segments of the population excluded from the financial system or unable to easily access credit.”
Specifically, the Prêt Xpress will allow individuals, self-employed professionals, micro and small businesses in Benin who are not banked or underbanked, such as taxi drivers, artisans, and market sellers, to obtain microloans via their mobile phones. This very discreet service currently allows borrowing from 1000 FCFA up to 100,000 FCFA.
Through this new product, MTN Mobile Money aligns with the national financial inclusion strategy of the Beninese government, which aims to ensure that all Beninese, wherever they are in the national territory, have secure access to financial services by 2027.
For Serge SOGLO, General Manager of MTN Mobile Money SA, the goal with this new product is not only to stimulate the country’s economic growth but also, and above all, to positively contribute to improving the living conditions of fellow citizens.
In her speech launching the “Prêt Xpress” service campaign, the Minister of Digitalization, Aurelie Adam SOULE ZOUMAROU, emphasized the government’s efforts in the digital field to create fertile ground for innovative initiatives such as “Prêt Xpress”.
She also appreciated the advantages of this service which breaks down the protocol barriers related to loan requests. “Innovation also means imagining that tomorrow, a bank could say that as long as an operator is able to properly identify the client, and that the client is building their loan history through their loans, we can imagine behind that, typically banking services that can rely on this history,” she said, adding that the possibilities are immense. She also emphasized that the government sees this initiative not as competition but as complementarity that will contribute to the growth of the Beninese nation.
Aurelie Adam SOULE ZOUMAROU, a leader in her own right, advocated for the cause of women. The minister indeed challenged MTN and Ecobank Benin to make sure that this service can benefit the women and youth of Benin. “We know that in access to credit, women and young people are targets, who, if they have access to these services, will multiply the impacts,” Aurelie said, assuring of the government’s support for the new “Prêt Xpress” service, before ending with the slogan “Djè min,” initiated by MTN Benin for the launch of this product “Prêt Xpress.”
With the launch of the Prêt Xpress service, MTN Mobile Money SA now positions itself as the provider of digital solutions for the progress of Africa, close to the population.
Read the original article(French) on Benin Web TV
