Dar Es Salaam — THE first online payment system has been introduced in the country and will officially start operating by March next year pending the authorization from the Bank of Tanzania.

The introduction of the system will enable people worldwide enjoy on-line business transactions in areas of tourism, traveling and ticketing, sports and entertainment, web maintenance and solutions and online shopping among others.

Introducing the system to stakeholders in the Dar es Salaam today, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wide Information Network Ltd (WIDE) which is the service, Mr Issack Kitinya said the system will be basically a global mobile payment services for easy use, greater flexibility, any time and anywhere provided one has a computer and or a mobile phone.

He said his company has already applied for 'no objection to operate' the payment system in the country from the Bank of Tanzania and the technology is expected to be in full operation by next March.

"WIN as a worldwide electronic communication network will be having four payments methods which is credit and debit cards, bank money transfers, global mobile payment service and western union online transfer," he said.

Using the system, consumers will now be able to simplify their tourism arrangements, facilitate bookings and handling payments of bills for local services like water, electricity revenues and the likes.

He said advantage of the banks to the system will be that all transfers will end into bank hands thus increasing banking access and creation of virtue customers worldwide whom otherwise couldn't have transacted with.

"The tourism sector will further benefit through reaching customers worldwide, getting their payments direct once a transaction is performed thus reducing costs per transaction and the same applies to web maintenance, shops, and in sports and entertainments," he said.

The stakeholders had mixed feelings on the new services many however saying it was right time it has been introduced.

The Bank of Tanzania however, had the feelings that smooth function of the system will affected due to reasons that Tanzania has not yet introduced national identification cards.

"Since the system will also involve individuals it is important to uniquely identify them which is now impossible without National ID system around," said Mr Bernard Dadi the BoT's Manager for National Payment Systems.