(Ecofin Agency) - The National Bank of Angola (BNA) is seeking a partner for the implementation of a System of Mobile Transfers and Instant Messaging (STMI). The winning bidder will be announced by next September.

The partner is required to have expertise in the management and operation of compensation and switching systems for mobile and instant payments. BNA wants the interoperable e-payment system to be flexible and open, to guarantee access and the emergence of various participants including banks, mobile operators, non-bank financial institutions, fintech, which offer innovative services and meet the needs of end consumers. This technical infrastructure, which should be accessible to the entire population, should promote competition, efficiency, and security in the financial market and reduce the cost of services and products. An initiative to further improve financial inclusion in the country.

In December 2019, during the 9^th edition of the Forum on Challenges of the Digital Governance era, in Luanda, the Angolan minister of finance, Vera Daves, regretted the weak rate of financial inclusion in the country, compared to the average in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). She also noted that the traditional banking solutions (cheques, payment cards, credit transfers, and direct debits) do not foster financial inclusion to expected levels in a country where the bancarization rate is below 30%. Vera Daves called on the government to review the regulatory framework for the development of mobile solutions.