Haiti: Mobile money transactions hit 5 million

Haiti mobile operators Digicel Haiti and Voila have topped 5 million transactions under their mobile money services, thus reaching the target set by the Haiti Mobile Money Initiative.

(More: Mobile money gains traction in Haiti despite slow start)

Digicel Haiti and Voila will share a US$ 3.2 million award from the Haiti Mobile Money Initiative because of achieving this milestone.

This is the final award in the US$ 10 million incentive fund that was initiated in June 2010, after the earthquake in Haiti.

Over the next two years, Haiti Mobile Money Initiative activities will focus on helping mobile money services achieve sustainability via an expanded uptake in services and an increase in the number of active users. It will partner with the main actors to address the remaining challenges in key areas, including customer education, agent and merchant network expansion and product development.

Technical assistance, grants, and market research are among the tools that the Haiti Mobile Money Initiative will use to pursue these objectives. Digicel Haiti said its TchoTcho Mobile money service has over 500,000 registered customers and is currently available across 900 agents nationwide.