TZ-Rwanda cash transfers open

Dar es Salaam. You can now send and receive money to and from Rwanda via mobile phones, thanks to a new initiative by Tigo Tanzania.

The mobile phone firm yesterday unveiled the new service allows Tigo subscribes in Tanzania to send money from their Tigo Pesa accounts to Tigo Cash subscribes in Rwanda and vice versa.

The services were launched simultaneously in Kigali and Dar es Salaam in the presence of Rwanda’s High Commissioner in Tanzania Dr Ben Rugangazi while in Rwanda, the event was graced jointly by Tanzania’s High Commissioner in Rwanda, Mr Francis Mwaipaja and Rwanda Finance Minister Claver Gatete who took the first mobile money transactions between the two countries.

Tigo Tanzania General Manager, Diego Gutierrez, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the system integrates currency conversation, whereby money is sent in either Tanzania Shillings or Rwandan Francs and delivered already converted into the currency of the receiving country. “Once the remittance is received customers can use the funds to access all the services and benefits including airtime top ups, payments for water, electricity and pay-television bills among others….the money can be withdrawn from any TigoPesa agent across the two countries,” said Gutierrez.

According to Gutierrez this new product will serve customers time and money.

According to Dr Rugangazi, available statistics show that Tanzania is currently Rwanda’s seventh largest trading partner.

He said the total trade between the two countries has grown at average of 56 per cent per year since Rwanda joined the EAC Countries in 2007.