SOME Mobile Money Booth operators in Shiwang’andu District of Muchinga Province are allegedly turning away customers depositing small amounts of K10 and below on the pretext that they do not have deposit float or there are experiencing network challenge.
This came to light today when a team of farmers led by Mr Lameck Mulenga of Lukaka area stormed the ZANIS office in Shiwang’andu to complain over the matter.
Speaking on behalf of the other farmers, Mr Mulenga explained that people coming from far areas are having challenges depositing small notes because mobile money agents are refusing to take amounts of K10 and below.
He said the refusal by mobile money agents to accept small amounts is denying making it difficult for people to buy airtime using digital systems as not everyone can have huge amounts to deposit in mobile money.
“We don’t have huge sums of money to deposit. At times we face emergency issues and we want to communicate, definitely need to buy airtime, now if they refuse a K10 it means we will not communicate,” he said.
Mr Mulenga said he was not the only one facing the challenge of low note deposit or rejection of Kwacha notes by traders but many especially from the outskirts of the town centre.
He explained that farmers in remote areas have challenges of not having mobile operators in their areas, making them travel long distances to deposit money in mobile money.
He has since called on the government to intervene by engaging mobile companies to reintroduce scratch cards for airtime as was the case sometime back.
Mr Mulenga added that it has become a challenge to reload airtime with low notes which should be deposited in the account for one to access airtime.
A snap survey conducted this morning by ZANIS revealed that mobile money operators were only accepting deposits of K50 going up, saying K10 has no commission but a loss to them as they are the ones being deducted instead.
When contacted for a comment, Airtel Zambia Zonal Business Manager Benjamin Tembo said his company has received such complaints and sensitisation to mobile operators has started.
Mr Tembo explained that it is a serious offence to refuse any deposit from a client adding that anyone that will be found wanting will be disciplined and deregistered.
He explained that the issue of scratch cards was phased out due to public health hazards as the disposal of used cards became an eyesore.
“We are in a digital world as a nation and we need to comply by law not to contribute to health hazards,” he said.
Mr Tembo appealed to the general public to ensure that they make use of their mobile money for transactions without having challenges with the operators saying Airtel Zambia will be on the lookout for such operators.
