MTN Zambia partners with NAPSA to introduce mobile solution for payment of contributions

In an effort to drive the use of mobile money and broaden the options for paying employees’ contributions, the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA and MTN Zambia have partnered to launch Mobile Money payment option and USSD for submitting monthly returns.

MTN Zambia has provided the technology that allows MTN customers to pay NAPSA contributions for their workers.

NAPSA Director General, Mr. Yollard Kachinda, has expressed happiness with this development noting that broadening of payment options will ease the compliance burden and result in higher employer productivity since employers will not be required to visit NAPSA offices and queue up in order to pay contributions.

“As a customer-centric social security institution focused on fostering efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, we have been implementing various solutions to help meet the needs and expectations of our members. The introduction of the Mobile Money solution and USSD for payment of contributions and filing of returns is one such important innovation. It comes at a time when we are looking at easy and efficient ways in which our members can transact with us end-to-end without the need to visit our offices, but still get the best service,” he said

Mr. Kachinda explained that the mobile phone-based platform was convenient and cut on the cost of doing business, as members would be able to pay NAPSA contributions from anywhere. He has since assured employers that the facility is safe and secure to use.

And MTN Zambia’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Charles Molapisi noted that this partnership between the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and mobile money operators is fundamental in the mobile money ecosystem, hence his organisation’s decision to collaborate with NAPSA. This strategic partnership will enhance the effective and faster transmission of funds in Zambia.

MTN’s Mobile Money was launched in 2011 and leverages on innovative mobile platform transactions such money transfers, purchase of goods and services, NAPSA payment, airtime purchase, DSTV and Zesco units’ payment.

The MTN Mobile Money solution has been deployed on the eNAPSA online platform as one of the innovative ways to pay NAPSA contributions. Using the USSD menu on *677#, employers, particularly the self-employed and those with few employees such as employers of domestic workers, can create a monthly return on  a mobile phone without internet connection, and pay their workers contributions using MTN Mobile Money.

For NAPSA, this product innovation has come as a response to the need for easier, convenient and affordable ways to pay NAPSA contributions, in addition to the existing means such as cheque, electronic transfer and cash, which the Authority plans to phase-out by the end of the year. The Authority is instead encouraging the use of the Mobile Money and online banking as these payment options are secure, convenient and affordable. On the other hand, this development will drive the next phase of growth for Mobile Money in Zambia.