The new service allows Tigo subscribers in Tanzania to send money from their Tigo Pesa accounts to Tigo Cash subscribers in Rwanda and vice versa. The system integrates currency conversion, whereby money is sent in either Tanzania Shillings or Rwandan Francs and delivered already converted into in the currency of the recipient's country.
This, according to Tigo Tanzania general manager Diego Gutierrez, is the first product of its kind in the world that allows dual currency international mobile wallet to mobile wallet transfers with currency conversion included.
Once the remittance is received, customers can use the funds to access all the services and benefits that Tigo Mobile Financial Services offer. These include airtime top ups, payments for water, electricity, TV and transportation, transfers to bank accounts, cash withdrawals at any Tigo agent across the country, and convenient transfers to other mobile money users.
To send money from Tigo Pesa (Tanzania) to Tigo Cash (Rwanda) users, customers can dial *150*90# while those in Rwanda remitting to Tanzania can dial *200*7#. This service can be used from any Tigo mobile phone. Customers in their respective countries will receive their money immediately in their routine currency.
To register for Tigo Pesa or Tigo Cash, customers can visit any agent in Tanzania or Rwanda respectively. Registration is free of charge; customers only need to present their ID.
The new service will particularly benefit the businesses with cross-border trade, diaspora families, truck drivers, importers and exporters from both countries. Tanzania is Rwanda's second most important trading partner. In 2013, Rwanda imports from Tanzania amounted to 80,883,702 US dollars while Tanzania received imports valued at 231,695,265 US dollars from Rwanda the same year.
Source: APO
