I&M Bank Partners with MobiKash to Roll Out Agency Banking Services
I&M Bank Partners with MobiKash loans to Roll Out Agency Banking Services
(Nairobi, 18th March 2015) I&M Bank Ltd and MobiKash have partnered to launch a partnership that will see the Bank provide its financial services at authorized MobiKash Agent outlets.
The roll out enables I&M Bank to tap into MobiKash’s expansive network with an objective of increasing convenience for its customers to easily access banking services, as well as to increase its customer base.
Through the partnership, I&M Bank customers will now be in a position to withdraw and deposit cash at MobiKash loans Agent outlets, send money from a MobiKash account to an I&M Bank account, as well as send money from an I&M Bank account to a MobiKash account.
The move comes as a build-up to the launch of the bank’s agency banking model, I&M Karibu set to roll out in a few months.
Speaking at the launch event, I&M Bank Group CEO Mr. Arun Mathur noted, “We are glad to roll out our services at the MobiKash loans Agents outlets. We are now able to reach out to our rural customers without having to incur costs in brick and mortar branches.”
I&M Bank has continued to invest heavily in robust Information Technology and automated services delivery infrastructure, to facilitate efficient and innovative customer service delivery standards.
“We have invested in integration of our Bank’s systems where mobile and card payments are fully synchronized with the bank’s core-banking system. This will in turn enable the bank to process transactions conducted at the MobiKash agent outlets in real-time,” he added
“We believe that the Bank’s sustained investments in alternate delivery channels, and now with the introduction of I&M Bank services at MobiKash Agent Outlets will continue to contribute to the positive growth trajectory of I&M Bank Ltd.” Mr. Arun further noted.
According to the 2013 Finaccess survey, Agency Banking has continued to contribute tremendously in enhancing the reach and coverage of financial services to Kenyans.
The study further showed that the proportion of the adult population using formal financial services rose to 66.7% in 2013 from 27.4% in 2006. The proportion of the financially excluded on the other hand has steadily declined from 39.3% in 2006 to 25.4% in 2013.
“By providing I&M Bank Ltd’s services at MobiKash agent outlets and the soon to be launched I&M Karibu agency banking model, we hope to tap into the rural areas where we can target the unbanked population to grow the Bank’s retail section,” Mr. Arun reiterated I&M Bank Ltd’s services will be rolled out in over 12,000 MobiKash agent outlets spread across the 47 counties nationwide, with notable presence in all Nakumatt supermarkets, Postbank branches, Bestlady cosmetics shops and other major retail outlets.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Duncan Otieno, CEO MobiKash stated that the partnership with the I&M Bank stands to greatly increase more transactions at MobiKash agent outlets as well as providing true financial interoperability in the country.
“MobiKash agents offering I&M Bank Ltd’s financial services will not be expected to have multiple agency transaction accounts to serve MobiKash and I&M Bank Ltd’s transactions separately as it is currently in the market. I&M Bank Ltd’s customers who are not MobiKash customers can now walk into a MobiKash agent outlet and use I&M Bank Ltd’s Mobile Banking platform to withdraw cash directly from their bank account, and instantly get cash at the MobiKash agent outlet. This is part of the financial revolution that MobiKash and I&M Bank Ltd has pioneered in and is expected to fully lead to financial deepening of our economy.” Mr. Otieno stated
“At MobiKash we remain committed to delivering practical financial solutions, geared at making the wider Kenyan population access safe, reliable and efficient mobile money solutions,” Mr. Otieno concluded
Subscribers can access MobiKash Mobile Money service by dialing *365# across all networks.
MobiKash will manage all its agents while I&M Bank will play an oversight role in this partnership. The Bank will support the agents in all the regions through its branch network where agents will maintain their floats in the Bank’s MobiKash trust account.
I&M Bank Ltd plans to roll out more agents countrywide by mid this year, and will start rolling out agency banking in its Rwanda, Tanzania and Mauritius subsidiaries from the year 2016.
The Bank has continually grown in tandem with its customers dynamic needs and will roll out more innovations in the coming months with an objective of enhancing the bank’s service delivery standards to its clients.
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