GIM-UEMOA: local actions to anchor the bank card in habits

2023-11-27 07:42:57

• Traders and merchants, the general targeted public

• In order to minimize the use of cash in transactions

• And increase the use of the card to make payments

The Executive Director of APBEF-BF, Oumar Ky. (Ph: Yvan Sama)

«NWe have noticed that our populations are inclined to use the species. This is why we are in the process of promoting and instilling in the habits of the population the use of cards to make payments. This is an initiative that was launched last year and we will continue until we feel that the use of the card has become part of the habits of the populations. ». With these words, the representative of the UEMOA Interbank Electronic Payment Group (GIM UEMOA), Yves Arnaud Zoungrana, summarizes the objectives sought, through the organization of a commercial campaign to promote payment by bank card in Burkina Faso. This campaign was launched on the morning of Thursday, November 16, 2023, in Ouagadougou, and will extend until December 31, 2023, to the general public, in particular, traders and merchants, around the slogan “Let’s be proud of this which belongs to us. Its main objective is to increase public awareness of the advantages and opportunities offered by payment by bank card and to stimulate the acceptance of bank cards by merchants. It is also about strengthening the confidence of bank customers in magnetic cards and payment processing. In terms of activities, it is planned sessions promoting payment by bank card in businesses, as well as competitions for bank card holders. They will have the chance to distribute with GIM gadgets and 25,000 FCFA vouchers as rewards. 200 vouchers are available to distribute to lucky winners. Rewards are also planned for merchants, including GIM gadgets, vouchers from partner merchants and a recharged GIM/Master Card prepaid card.

Diarrassouba Gnima, Marketing and Product Manager GIM UEMOA. (Ph: Yvan Sama)

The Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Burkina Faso (APBEF-BF), represented by its Executive Director at the launch of the campaign, took the opportunity to once again present the bank card and the advantages it offers . Bank cards can be issued by banks, or any other establishment that provides credit, and allow you to make purchases, whether directly in store or online and to withdraw money from ATMs or counters. As advantages, we can retain, among others: the credit card is quick to use, during payments, it is widely accepted by merchants, it avoids having to carry cash, it facilitates online payments and reduces the obligation having to change currency when changing monetary zone. Oumar Ky, who is convinced that the campaign will help strengthen secure payments, assured that banks would play their role for its success.

The UEMOA National Electronic Payment Committees (CMN-UEMOA) have the mission of discussing issues relating to regional and international electronic banking interbanking in each country, and of reporting them to GIM-UEMOA for their consideration. , on the one hand, and on the other hand, to carry out actions aimed at promoting the development of regional interbank electronic banking. Omar Ismaël Bokoum, president of CMN-UEMOA), says he is convinced that the efforts of all players in the banking world will make it possible to improve the rate of use of cards in Burkina Faso and in the UEMOA zone and is delighted with the fact that this campaign will also help promote the use of electronic payment terminals (TPE).

Moumouni SIMPORE

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GIM-UEMOA in bref

GIM-UEMOA is an interbank group founded in February 2003. It brings together more than eighty banks spread across eight countries (Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin), representing a population of 80 million inhabitants. The objective of this group is to promote the use of bank cards in West Africa. It issues withdrawal and payment cards for the UEMOA zone, complying with the EMV standard. It also issues international cards through agreements with Visa and Mastercard.

By setting out to conquer the Burkinabè who are still slow to use bank cards, Burkina Faso, with Guinea-Bissau, are joining the other UEMOA states which had preceded them in this campaign.