Somali Microfinance Institutions S.

Mobile and Agent Banking

Services
Pilot Report

April 14, 2015

Version 3.0
 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

Table of Contents

1. Preface .................................................................................................................................................. 4

2. Scope ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

3. Setup of Mobile & Agent banking ......................................................................................................... 6

3.1 Technology Set up ............................................................................................................................... 6

3.2 Infrastructure Setup ............................................................................................................................ 7
3.3 Training ............................................................................................................................................... 7
3.4 Operational agent network................................................................................................................. 8
3.5 Customer support ............................................................................................................................... 8
3.6 Dedicated field support ...................................................................................................................... 9
3.6 Informative material ........................................................................................................................... 9
4. Outcomes ............................................................................................................................................ 10

4.1 Mobile and agent Banking Service Indicators ............................................................................. 10

4.2 Growth of customers .................................................................................................................. 11
4.3 Business model validation .......................................................................................................... 12
4.4 Errors and omissions identified .................................................................................................. 12
4.5 Type of transactions.................................................................................................................... 13
4.6 Volume of transactions ............................................................................................................... 13
4.7 Feedback received ...................................................................................................................... 13
4.8 Modification and changes sough’s as a result of the pilot ......................................................... 17
4.9 Other issues and deviations identified during the Pilot.............................................................. 17
5. Recommendation................................................................................................................................ 18

5.1 Technology .................................................................................................................................. 18

5.2 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 18
5.3 Operational Training ................................................................................................................... 18
5.4 Agent Due Diligence .................................................................................................................... 18
5.5 KYC procedure............................................................................................................................. 18
5.6 Customer Support ....................................................................................................................... 18

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

5.7 Complaint Handling..................................................................................................................... 18

5.8 Policy and Procedures ................................................................................................................. 19
5.9 Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 19
5.10 Pricing.......................................................................................................................................... 19
5.11 Paper Receipts ............................................................................................................................ 19
6. Timelines ............................................................................................................................................. 19

Key Dates ................................................................................................................................................ 19

7. Annexes ............................................................................................................................................... 20

7.1 Transaction Charges and commissions ....................................................................................... 20

7.1.1 Transaction Charges ............................................................................................................ 20
7.1.2 Agent Commission’s ............................................................................................................ 20

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

1. Preface
Somali Micro Finance Institution (SMFI) is an institution that operates in Somali regional state
of Ethiopia, with a vision to become an efficient, reliable and inclusive financial service provider
in the Somali regional state of Ethiopia.

SMFI has currently 16 branches, 1 sub branch and 4 satellites in the region and it plans to reinforce
its coverage through Mobile and Agent Banking Services using the “HelloCash” Brand name.

By the use of Mobile and agent banking, SMFI aims to address the problem of low financial
inclusion in the area and to facilitate loans, savings and local money transfer, payment and provide
access to financial services through an extensive agent network.For this purpose, SMFI has entered
in to an agreement for the provision of mobile and agent baking Technology Platform offered by
BelCash Technology Solutions PLC (BCTS).

BCTS is a technology service provider for mobile and agent banking services. BCTS has obtained
the necessary VAS licenses from Ministry of ICT and signed an agreement with Ethio-telecom to
provide for the Ethiopian market a new approach to interaction between end users and their mobile
or online devices with main focus on the banking and payment services.

SMFI has made the necessary preparations for the delivery of the service and made a request to
the National Bank of Ethiopia, so as to launch mobile and agent banking services as per NBE’s
directives NO.FIS/01/2012 and Circular No. FIS/01/2014. Accordingly NBE has given its
approval to SMFI to run a pilot program of the service on a letter dated December 26th 2014.

As per the national bank directive, it is obligatory for any financial institution that wishes to engage
in Mobile and Agent Banking business should have first to complete a pilot roll out which shall
stay for a duration between 2 to 3 months.

The purpose of the Pilot program is to test and evaluate the overall implementation of the mobile
and agent banking services in a limited scale.

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This Document reports on the scope, activities, transactions and findings that were identified
during the Pilot period of the Mobile and agent banking services.

2. Scope
The scope of the pilot program was limited to 5 SMFI branches with each branch having an average
number of 2-10 agents taking part in the pilot.

It was planned that 1000 to 2000 end users who would register in the process and to be become
subsequent customers using the services offered in a real environment.

The pilot had been conducted in the Somali region, and was consisting of the following Branches’.

a. Jigjiga
b. Shinille
c. Togochale
d. Lafaise
e. Degehabur

The scope of the services to be delivered for the pilot are the following;

 Account opening at Branch and at Agent,

 Deposit at Branch and at Agent,
 Transfer,
 Withdrawal at Branch and at Agent.

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3. Setup of Mobile & Agent banking

3.1 Technology Set up

The Technology used for the service has been first verified through an internal testing process
whereby the SMFI staff have made a trial of the features and the functionality of the service in
Jigjiga area prior to the pilot program has formally commenced.

The Service was made available using the Following channels;

 IVR (8246) - Voice based interaction by which end users call a short code number (8246)
and are able to access their mobile account and perform various transactions using any type
of mobile phone.
 USSD (*838#) - a Menu based application, by which end users Dial a 3 digit code (*838#)
to have access to a written Menu with options to perform various transactions using their
mobile phones.
 SMS – Short messaging service (SMS) which has been used as a confirmation channel for
various activities while using the service.
 WEB- a website interface that has been used to allow the SMFI branches with internet
access to be connected to the Datacenter of SMFI and perform various activities related to
the service.

The IVR, USSD and SMS channels have been made available in the following 5 languages;

 Somali,
 Amharic,
 Oromiffa,
 Tigrinya, and
 English.

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3.2 Infrastructure Setup

SMFI has established its dedicated Data center in Addis Abeba and acquired the required Telecom
infrastructures from Ethio Telecom.

The telecom infrastructures that have been used for the service are the following:

 E1/T1 Telephone lines,

 Short code number,
 USSD connectivity,
 SMS connectivity, and
 Internet connectivity.

In addition to the telecom infrastructures SMFI has used the following IT equipment for the
service:

 Database servers and

 Telecom Servers.

Note: complementary information is available in the Annex 1 infrastructure and technology.

3.3 Training

The staff members located in the 5 pilot participant branches had been trained on the new service
and their specific role on the delivery of the service.

These Branches had been trained previously as part of the pre- Pilot preparation, and they have
been given a refreshment training at the beginning of the Pilot period.

The staff who had been given the training are the following:

 Branch Managers (1 per Branch),

 Branch Cashiers (1 per Branch), and
 Branch Tellers (2 per Branch)

Note: complementary information is available in the Annex 2 agent, branch and training program.

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

3.4 Operational agent network

Each branch has recruited between 2 and 10 Agents. The Number of Agents to be recruited per
branch has varied within the above mentioned range, based on the density of the population and
availability of qualified agents.

These agents had undertook Agent training on the new service and how to perform their specific
roles in the delivery of the service.

20 Operational agents
15

10

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73

Day (1 to 73)

Note that complementary information is available in the Annex 2 agent, branch and training
program.

3.5 Customer support

As per the requirements of NBE’s directives N0. FIS/01/2012 SMFI has established a call center
in Addis Abeba, to provide customer support for the mobile and agent banking services.

The customer support is staffed with 5 operators with a capacity to expand depending on the
service demand and volume of calls received from customers.

The main task of the customer support had been the following;

 HelloCash User Support,

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 Operational Support to Agents and Branch Staffs,

 Complaint Handling,
 Receiving reports from Agent related to Anti money laundering (AML) and counter
terrorist financing (CTF),and
 Following up on KYC and Data entry activities.

Note: complementary information is available in the Annex 3 call center/customer support.

3.6 Dedicated field support

Even if it was not mandatory, SMFI decided to implement a dedicated field support to create a
daily interaction with the agents and help to understand their concerns, as well as get a better
control of the KYC. Our institution did its all best to monitor its field activities and satisfied with
the work accomplished on a field level by its dedicated field support team.

Note: complementary information is available in the Annex 3 dedicated support.

3.6 Informative material

The level of marketing activities of the service during the pilot period has been restricted to the
design and distribution of standardized forms, availing a limited number of brochures,
Identification cards and service indicator sign ages restricted to the agent outlets and the pilot
participating branches.

This items have been used to manifest visibility of pilot participating agents and provide pertinent
information that are required for end users and agents participating in the pilot.

There had not been any promotional campaign or marketing activities at a media or mass
communication level, so as to restrict the service in a limited environment and be compliant to the
directives set by the NBE.

Note that complementary information is available in the Annex 4 informative items

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

4. Outcomes
4.1 Mobile and agent Banking Service Indicators

During the Pilot Period, there has been the following service indicator reports which have been
collected from the system as per the National Bank Mobile and Agent Banking Directive Annex
IV, Mobile and Agent Banking Service Indicators requirements.

No Indicators Amount/Number
I. Total number of agents 19
II. Total number of active mobile accounts 1,456
III. Total balance in mobile accounts (in Birr) 273,841.89
IV. No of transaction in the quarter
A) Fund Transfer 167
B) Deposit (Cash in) to mobile account 669
C) Withdrawal (Cash out) from mobile account 437
V. Total number of transaction in the quarter, ( a b c), (In Birr) 1,273
VI. Value of transaction in the quarter (In Birr)
D) Fund Transfer 52,911
E) Deposit (Cash in) to mobile account 629,848
F) Withdrawal (Cash out) from mobile account 299,870
VII. Total Value of transaction in the quarter ( d e f), 982,629
VIII. Average size of transaction in the quarter (VII/V) 771.9
IX. Average number of transactions in the quarter per day, 17.4
X. Total number of regular accounts opened at agent premise 0
during the quarter
XI. Total number of regular accounts opened at agent premise 0

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

4.2 Growth of customers

SMFI was convinced during the pilot that agent and mobile banking is the fastest way to create
financial inclusion for the non-banked in the area, the number of expected new customers was
over initial expectation. We firmly do believe that the region will be able with a good
promotional campaign to reach in the coming three years the target set by the National Bank of
Ethiopia (66% of the population should have a bank account).

In the three months of pilot SMFI could increase its customer database of 20%.

SMFI Pilot - Number of end users (Customers)

1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73
Customers / Days

NUMBER OF END USERS IN %

Shinile

Wachale

Lafoisse
Jigjiga

Dhagahbour

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

4.3 Business model validation

The customers are enjoying the extreme convenience of the system as well as the easiness of the
registration process, they seem at this stage comfortable with the pricing structure but would
appreciate that the fee should be break down in more low ranges.

The fact that a lot of people do not actually have one of the ID’s required by SMFI in account
opening procedures as mentioned in the documents submitted to NBE that issue should be taken
in consideration if we want to achieve 66% of financial inclusion. We suggest that civil servant
ID’s, student ID’s, as well as work ID’s could be accepted after pilot.

Agents were also very pleased by the introduction of a new source of revenue for their business,
for most of them between 1 500 and 3 000 Birr a month. Our first concern is will the agents be
motivated to remain providing the HelloCash services and will they inform properly their
neighborhood,

4.4 Errors and omissions identified

Errors and omissions where clearly identified during the pilot, they have been mitigated, the
delays as well as the control mechanism to be aware of the level of compliances of the agents
was not in place day one. We have mitigated the risk factors by implementing new mechanism
that provided us a better control of the KYC’s.

Initially 5% of the KYC’s who were non-compliant due to the internet instability at certain parts
of the region, During the last month of the pilot we have been able to drop down to 1% and trust
that in the future it will be totally inexistent.

We did appreciate our TSP for providing us adequate technology to make services possible. The
fact that internet is not always available can be very challenging, but new technology recently
available by EthioTelecom such us the 3G and 4G connections will allow us to be fully
compliant.

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4.5 Type of transactions

A) Fund Transfer
B) Deposit (Cash in) to mobile account
C) Withdrawal (Cash out) from mobile account

4.6 Volume of transactions

A) Fund Transfer 167

B) Deposit (Cash in) to mobile account 669
C) Withdrawal (Cash out) from mobile account 437

4.7 Feedback received

Complaints and recommendations received from customers have been the following:

- The daily amount of 6000 Birr is insufficient for businesses

- The maximum balance of 25 000 Birr is insufficient for businesses
- Some days Ethiopian-Telecom network is not available
- Some phones cannot access the USSD platform (under investigation with the help of Ethio-
Telecom)
- Making a photocopy of the ID was a real issue in some areas
- Pay bills or pay goods is not available
- Some customers want to be able to access a web interface
- Being called by the call center for a double check after that they have done their KYC at agent
level is not always pleasant
- Top up their phone should be available

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Feedback concerning the different services provided by SMFI HelloCash:

How was your experience making a DEPOSIT?

Very Good Good Average Bad

21%

8%
58%
13%

How Was Your Experience OPENING

A HelloCash Account?
Very Good Good Average Bad

21%

8%

4% 67%

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

How Was Your Experience Making A

TRANSFER?
Very Good Good Average Bad

29%

54%

13%

4%

How Was Your Experience Checking Your

BALANCE?
Very Good Good Average Bad

34%

54%

4% 8%

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How was your experience making

WITHDRAWALS?
Very Good Average Bad

33%

54%

13%

Agents

- Accessing a web interface to control their transactions would help, it remains that it should not
be mandatory
- Having an available photocopy can be a real issue in some areas

Branch staff

- Uploading the KYC’s can be difficult knowing that internet is not always working properly;
- The policies concerning the KYC’s should be reinforced, customer’s account who have no KYC’s
should immediately be frozen;
- Customers of SMFI should be able to use HelloCash to repay their loans;
- Accessing the web console can be difficult if internet is down, using the GSM Network is a
solutions but remains more time consuming.

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

4.8 Modification and changes sough’s as a result of the pilot

Integrating businesses’ seems to us a major challenges that should be immediately addressed, actually
the directives do not integrate the businesses’ who are eventually the early adapters of mobile and
agent banking.

Concerning Bill payments as well as Payroll, we suggest that the businesses have a higher limit in terms
of daily transfer and balance.

Our sought is to divide the business in two different categories A and B (depending on their existing
capital).

 The businesses who are from category (A) could have a limit of 250,000 Birr balance and
100,000 Birr transfer on a daily base.
 The businesses who are from category (B) could have a limit of 100,000 Birr balance and 40,000
Birr transfer a daily base.

On the other hand we do believe that for regular customers the actual directives are perfectly adapted.

4.9 Other issues and deviations identified during the Pilot

The major issues that we have faced during the pilot was the impossibility to get all necessary
services from EthioTelecom in terms of connectivity (E1 lines), however we have brought
experts to do the study and see how the issues could be mitigate.

For that reason SMFI maintained its main tech. platform in Addis Ababa and started building its
Data Center in Jijiga.

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

5. Recommendation
During the pilot roll out of the service, we have evaluated the service in terms of the below listed
components;

5.1 Technology
Always provide more than one channel which is available, redundancy of channels is the best
guarantee to maintain the uptime.

5.2 Infrastructure
Always provide more than one site of connectivity which is available, redundancy of
connectivity is the best guarantee to maintain the service available.

5.3 Operational Training

Trainings conducted at the Agent outlet have proven to be cost effective and advisable method to
maintain the quality of the training.

5.4 Agent Due Diligence

Some businesses could not get Agent requirement documents. Although some of the agents have
an evidence for their source of funds they were not able to produce Bank statement because they
do not use a Bank account or there is no Bank in area. The Bank statement requirement for
agents might not be applicable in all cases.

5.5 KYC procedure

Create lower delays to:

1/ Access the customer that he is in control

2/ Access the agent that we can monitor his registration process

3/ Control if the KYC his at agent level

5.6 Customer Support

No recommendation at this stage.

5.7 Complaint Handling

Get all calls registered, monitor the delay of reaction, ensure the customer that he have all our
attention.

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 SMFI Mobile and Agent Banking Pilot Report V 3.0

5.8 Policy and Procedures

Increase the option of identification, a lot of end users do not have the ID required by SMFI, full
financial inclusion will may need some more comprehension of the administration in terms of the
nature of the documents that have to be provided, professional cards could be an option.

5.9 Documentation
Get all documents in a digital format available

5.10 Pricing
Break down the existing transactions ranges as well as charge rates

5.11 Paper Receipts

There is a duplication of paperwork at the level of the agent while performing Deposit and
withdrawal transactions, in which the Paper receipt and the SMS confirmation have the same
content. This requirement might be considered to facilitate the transactions.

6. Timelines
Key Dates

 January 5th Branch refreshment training completed

 January 7th, 2015. Pilot with internal SMFI staff, register and start using the service – 7
working days

 8th of January up to 10th January, Refreshment Training for Agents

 13th of January, Test of the system with Internal SMFI staff at SMFI Branches

 January 15th, 2015 Open Pilot where the Public register and start using the service

 March 26th, 2015 End of Pilot report period.

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7. Annexes
7.1 Transaction Charges and commissions

The following transactions fees and commissions will be used for the pilot rollout.

7.1.1 Transaction Charges

HelloCash Customer Transaction Charges – Pilot

Deposit Charges Transfer Charges Withdraw

Transaction ranges (In Birr)
(In Birr) (In Birr) Charges (In Birr)

50.00 1,000.00 Free 7.50 10

1,001.00 2,000.00 Free 8.50 11
2,001.00 3,000.00 Free 8.50 17
3,001.00 4,000.00 Free 9.50 21
4,001.00 5,000.00 Free 9.50 23
5,001.00 6,000.00 Free 10 26
Registration for a new customer account is Free

7.1.2 Agent Commission’s

HelloCash Agent Commissions- Pilot
Withdrawal Service (In
Transaction Range (In Birr) Deposit Service (In Birr)
Birr)
50 1,000.00 2 3
1,001.00 2,000.00 3 4
2,001.00 3,000.00 4 6
3,001.00 4,000.00 5.50 7
4,001.00 5,000.00 6.50 9
5,001.00 6,000.00 7.50 11
0.10% (of the Deposit
6,001.00 25,000.00 amount ) N/A

Registration of New customer – 10.00

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