MTN Uganda launches free mobile money services in support to fight against coronavirus
MTN Uganda has launched free mobile money services alongside a day-time data bundle for the next 30 days in a bid to support in the fight against coronavirus.
According to the CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte, this has been done to enable a particular section of Ugandans to stay on-line and work from home.
Via the offer, customers will now get 1GB of data at just Ushs 2,000 valid between 9 am and 5 pm. Sending money up to Ushs 30,000 is also free of charge via MTNMoMo.
Before, one was charged a certain fee depending on how much he or she is sending via MTN MoMo and that way people would find it even easier to transact physically at any mobile money shop.
However, now that transacting via MTN MoMo has been made free for one month it means that more people will buy the idea of transacting by a mere click on their phones thus minimizing on the physical exchange of paper money.
“The offer is aimed at reducing on the risk of transmission of COVID-19 that has paralysed daily life across the world,” a statement from the CEO read.
Meanwhile, as a way of helping in the fight against coronavirus, MTN has also made sh500m available, with immediate effect, and offered the Ministry of Health free media channel space on radio, TV, social media, SMS plus its call centre IVR platform to promote prevention messages spearheaded by the Ministry of Health.
As of today, no case of Coronavirus has been reported in Uganda however, all Uganda’s closest neighbours including Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have all registered at least more than one case.
President Museveni on Wednesday 18th ordered the temporary closure of all schools, bars, places of worship and other places that attract large gatherings over Coronavirus fears.
Museveni who was speaking to the country about the outbreak of the deadly pandemic implied that it is a wise move even before Uganda has registered any case to put up measures that can prevent it from spreading.
According to Museveni the population estimate of Ugandans is at 42 million and they are determined to see that all these people are not concentrated in one place.
Therefore, they have decided that all schools will close for one month from Friday 20th March starting from mid-day.
Meanwhile, all religious gatherings and places of worship including churches and Mosques have also been suspended for a month with immediate effect.
