Afghanistan's Roshan Offers Mobile Money Payments in Herat

Afghanistan's Roshan has announced an exclusive partnership with Herat Cable Network (HCN) that will enable Roshan customers in that city to pay their cable bills through its M-Paisa mobile money service. This first-of-its kind bill payment service was piloted in Herat earlier in the year, and is now being rolled out commercially to all of HCN's customers.

Currently, when factoring in travel time and lining up at HCN's centralized cable office, it can take a customer up to two hours to pay their cable bill. With mobile payments, this can now be done remotely.

"A decade ago, when Roshan began operations in Afghanistan, mobile money simply meant moving physical cash. When many thought it would not succeed, Roshan was the first operator to introduce M-Paisa and bring mobile commerce to the country's people. Since launching in 2008, M-Paisa's services have expanded significantly, encompassing everything from salary payments to police, to money transfer to merchants, to humanitarian payments," Karim Khoja, Chief Executive Officer, Roshan, said.

With over 1.2 million registered users and $4 million in salary payments transferred each month, M-Paisa now plays a vital role in Afghanistan's financial infrastructure. Roshan's partnership with HCN not only expands this role, but also addresses real customer needs.

"I own a shop and it is difficult for me to leave my business. This allows me to keep my shop operating and pay my bill on time," Ghulam Destageer Sherifi, Customer, Herat, said.