Microfinance Focus, August 5, 2011: Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd ‘Roshan’ and mobile money service provider ‘M-Paisa’ have entered into partnership with VendTek Systems Inc. a software developer and licensor to help grow the financial services industry in Afghanistan and promote financial inclusion in the country.

M-Paisa was introduced in Afghanistan in 2008 by Roshan. It is currently providing mobile money services to 97% of the unbanked population in the country offering safe, secure, and fast access to a range of financial services, including salary disbursements, merchant payments, receipt and payment of microfinance loans, airtime purchase, and peer-to-peer money transfer.

VendTek will develop additional mobile money functionality and provide consultancy support to M-Paisa as it expands the range of services available in Afghanistan.

M-Paisa is part of the Vodafone Money Transfer Group, which has over 22 million M-Paisa/M-Pesa customers worldwide. In April 2011, M-Paisa received Afghanistan's first Electronic Money Institute (EMI) license from Da Afghanistan Bank.