Successful conclusion of FDH Bank ‘Usampatse-Timpatsa’ promotion aimed at inculcating cashless society
The FDH Bank ‘Usampatse-Timpatsa’ promotion has been concluded and has achieved its objective that encouraged the Bank’s customers and the public at large to transact their businesses using digital platforms, which is the modern day business practice in this digital era.
At the final draw on Tuesday at FDH Bank Plc head office in Blantyre, Marketing Manager, Tiyese Kaimila said they were satisfied with the response to the promotion, emphasizing that it was “enormously embraced’ as traffic on their digital platforms increased.
Rolled out in June to October 31, the promotion encouraged customers to transact by sending money to their loved ones or as business transactions to any bank — through FDH 525 mobile; FDH Wallet or FDH Ufulu 525; Mpamba; Airtel Money; as well as cardless withdraws through ATM or at an FDH Agent spread across the country.
Lucky customers from the monthly draws were being rewarded with state-of-the-art PlayStation 5 (1), Iphone 14 Pro Max (2) while 12 were receiving K50,000 cash straight into their accounts.
The prizes were mooted so that they be used as presents, especially the Iphone 14 Pro Max and PlayStation 5 to customers’ children, spouses and other loved ones — Usampatse Timpatsa (don’t give them such a present yet, we will on your behalf).
But the winners still were the customer himself who transacted who will identify a beneficiary or might consider to keep the prize for themselves.
Kaimila said their digital platforms recorded “overwhelming transactions on all mobile apps”, adding that the culture for a cashless society “is being positively embraced”.
Going forward, Kaimila assured the Bank’s customers that their digital apps as very secure and that throughout the three months period, their systems ran seamlessly.
He pledged that they would continue to be innovative in their objective to be closer to their customers in appreciate of their trust in doing business with FDH Bank.
Winner of Iphone 14 Pro Max during the second draw, Ikraam Makidad Manduwa from Nkhotakota also encouraged fellow customers to embrace digital platforms describing the system as fast and efficient.
He was very appreciative of the prize and the innovation on the part of FDH Bank, saying he hadn’t expected to win but he always transacted using digital means since “it is fast and convenient as one doesn’t need to physically visit a banking hall”.
FDH Bank enhanced its drive for people to go cashless since last year when it rolled out a Swipe & Dash promotion, through which customers who transacted using FDH Bank point of sale (PoS) gadgets for the shopping and purchase of fuel were rewarded after monthly draws.
The lucky winners were then taken back to the supermarkets they purchased their shopping from and given 60 minutes to dash around the shop with a trolley to pick whatever they needed but not to exceed K300,000.
In September, FDH Bank — that is touted as a technological advanced and innovative financial service provider — introduced a mini point of sale (PoS) named Kungoti Tswaa — that was designed specifically for small and medium business operators.
It also caters for ATMs for customers of any other branch at no extra fee and can be used for courier shopping, late night shopping, meeting travel costs and for filling up fuel.
It was designed after the Reserve Bank of Malawi advised financial service providers to go digital to inculcate a cashless society and and it is also reliable in that both the customer and merchant gets proof of payment and exact money paid and received.
The Bank came up with the innovation taking into consideration that current PoS gadgets in supermarkets are only provided to huge businesses, thus denying small ones the opportunity for smart transactions.
Meanwhile, as the country is going digital, it has also brought the proliferation in the cases of cybercrime, especially mobile money fraud, that prompted Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to design the Central Equipment Identification Registry (CEIR).
The public is encouraged to register for CEIR to enhance security of mobile phones as well as mobile money fraud which is rampant theft of mobile devices in the country
Last week, MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman said they are making positive strides in the implementation of the CEIR, which is meant to register all mobile gadgets and SIM cards in the country.
During a mobile money fraud prevention task force meeting on Wednesday in Mangochi — which comprised MACRA, the Reserve Bank of Malawi, mobile service providers, Zomba Prison Service, among others — Suleman said once completed, CEIR will protect the public from online theft and fraud.
Suleman added that MACRA has so far connected the system to Airtel and TNM networks and completed the consultation for the SIM cards Regulations which will bring a new layer of cyber crime security in the country.
He attributed the positive strides in the implementation of the CEIR system to the collaboration from network operators that include TNM and Airtel as well as other mobile money operators.
Suleman further said the Authority, together with the Ministry of Information & Digitalisation, is working on five new laws that are aimed at providing proper legal safeguards to Malawians.
On his part, chairperson for the mobile money fraud prevention task force, Khumbo Phiri commended MACRA for the development, citing that the system will enhance arrest of scammers, thereby helping to reduce cases of fraud in the country.
“This is a welcome development as the system will support the registration of all SIM cards and mobile gadgets, a development that will assist to curb mobile money fraud as it will help us to know where the fraudsters are and the gadgets they use.
“Before the coming in of the system, we were unable to register mobile gadgets, a development that provided loophole for fraudsters to beat the system without us identifying them,” he said.
As mandated by the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act, 2016 and the Communications Act, 2016, MACRA rolled out measures to counter the mobile money fraud that include enhancement of mandatory SIM card registration; development of SIM card registration regulations and the CEIR.
MACRA also developed some cyber security rules and regulations as well as formulating a mobile money task force with the Malawi Police Service, National Registration Bureau, mobile network operators and Malawi Prisons.
Malawi Prisons was specifically included because the majority of the money fraud is being perpetrated by prisoners — with the suspicions of a collaboration with prison wardens — who facilitate multiple SIM cards for the inmates which are used through one handset.
Thus the provision of having handsets meant for a newly-bought SIM card to be required to be registered as well that include a replacement of a handset thereafter.
The system is set to provide all privacy as it stores and utilizes International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEls) that identify the actual handset worldwide not Sim card numbers and all transactions in the Sim card are under the privacy and security policies of mobile network operator.
It is only upon receipt of a report from a subscriber or the Malawi Police Service that CEIR will be invoked to trace, block and blacklist the mobile device linked to the report using its IMEI.
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