NMB Bank has handed over 50 Point of Sale (PoS) machines to the Zanzibar's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry in a bid to digitalise revenue collections in the Isles.

NMB Head of Card Business, Mr Philbert Casmir, said here that the initiative aims at increasing efficiency and boosting the tourism sector's revenue collection and contribution to the economy.

"Six months ago NMB inked a deal with the Zanzibar's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry aimed at improving blue economy by providing education and sensitising people visit tourist attractions," he said.

Tourism accounts for about 25 per cent of Zanzibar's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and up to 80 per cent of the Isle's foreign exchange earnings.

He added, also another area in the agreement concerned the bank's support for tourism activities by investing in digital systems to boost revenue collection in all the tourism centres in the Isles.

"With the digital system, NMB is improving the payment of services and goods using a mobile phone. There is no need of walking with cash," he emphasized.

Many more PoS will be distributed across various hotels, restaurants, recreational centres and shops to ensure that a tourist does not need hard cash while in Zanzibar.

The Deputy Minister for Tourism and Antiquities, Dr Amina Ameir Issa, said the handing over of the PoS machines shows how NMB is committed to support the Zanzibar government in its endeavour to boost revenue collection. "

The PoS machines will increase efficiency and address payment challenges in the tourism sector, improve revenue collection in areas providing tourism services, and boost efficiency in the collection of government revenue," she said.

She said the revenue collection for her ministry last year was 300m/- with a considerable amount of money lost due to poor revenue collection systems.

"This year we have been given the target to raise the collection to 1bn/- and with the digital revenue collection system from NMB, we are confident to bit the target," she noted.