BabuK
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 30, 2008
- 1,845
- 329
The Bank of Tanzania has started a process of establishing an ATM national switch which will enable all people with ATM cards to access money from any ATM machine of any Bank in the country.
Deputy minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Omari Yusuf Mzee told the House on Thursday when responding to a question from Magdalena Sakaya (Special Seats, CUF).
In her basic question, Sakaya had wanted to know government plans to do away with frequent ATM faults, saying they caused great inconvenience to customers.
Mzee admitted that ATM machines sometimes did not work due to power cuts or when money in a particular machine got finished, in which case it would have to be restocked.
The government, through the banks, has noted the problem and in collaboration with the BoT, we are planning to have a centralised switch through which any customer with an ATM card will be able to access money from any bank's ATM in the country, said the deputy minister.
However, Sakaya insisted that most faults with ATMs were not caused by electricity problems.
Moreover, she said, most of the ATMs installed in the country were second hand, having been used in other countries. She said the government itself had last October announced that most ATM machines had been used elsewhere.
However, the deputy minister said that not all ATMs were second hand as some banks had installed brand new ones.
Karatu MP Dr Wilbrod Slaa said that most machines did not operate 24 hours as the banks claimed, urging the government to ensure the banks fullfilled their contractual obligation.
Mzee said it was very expensive to run the machines, but added that all would be well when the national switch came on stream.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
Deputy minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Omari Yusuf Mzee told the House on Thursday when responding to a question from Magdalena Sakaya (Special Seats, CUF).
In her basic question, Sakaya had wanted to know government plans to do away with frequent ATM faults, saying they caused great inconvenience to customers.
Mzee admitted that ATM machines sometimes did not work due to power cuts or when money in a particular machine got finished, in which case it would have to be restocked.
The government, through the banks, has noted the problem and in collaboration with the BoT, we are planning to have a centralised switch through which any customer with an ATM card will be able to access money from any bank's ATM in the country, said the deputy minister.
However, Sakaya insisted that most faults with ATMs were not caused by electricity problems.
Moreover, she said, most of the ATMs installed in the country were second hand, having been used in other countries. She said the government itself had last October announced that most ATM machines had been used elsewhere.
However, the deputy minister said that not all ATMs were second hand as some banks had installed brand new ones.
Karatu MP Dr Wilbrod Slaa said that most machines did not operate 24 hours as the banks claimed, urging the government to ensure the banks fullfilled their contractual obligation.
Mzee said it was very expensive to run the machines, but added that all would be well when the national switch came on stream.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
