Scratch Cards Deadline Expires Today

Posted by: lukwago J in Uganda news July 31, 2018

The deadline for selling airtime scratch cards expires today 31st July, 2018 and anybody found selling scratch cards faces arrest for violating a Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) directives, with effect tomorrow.

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UCC director of corporate affairs( Fred Otunnu) said, we don’t expect to see anybody selling airtime scratch cards with effect from Wednesday.

Otunnu adds,the fear that the access to airtime will be limited does not arise, so one either use mobile money or contact a vendor who will do it freely. The cards should have been implemented in February, but telecoms requested for some time to clear the stock, hence granted.

These were agreed upon in a different sectors including the internal affairs ministry, security agencies among others, besides UCC and telecom companies will sensitize customers on the new advancement.

Banning of scratch cards!

Around march, UCC banned the sale of scratch cards and replaced them with advanced means(electronic) such as online dealers and mobile money.This was done to prevent crimes caused by unregistered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards and the open sale of airtime.

The general public is hereby informed that UCC has banned the use of scratch cards with effect from July 31st and retailers were given a period of time up to today to stop the distribution and selling of scratch cards. Therefore, the unused and unsold stock are to be returned back to the distributors for compensation by the airtime retailers. Apparently, UCC sector is undergoing a technological revolution from analogue to advanced digital migration.

By the end of December 2017, there were 25 million mobile money subscribers with about 23.4 million (93.6%) with active mobile money accounts, and amongst those majority (94%) can access mobile wallet, the remaining 6.2% users without mobile wallet can either use mobile money agencies or operator dealer shops in nearby areas.

Telecom reaction

Some telecom professionals were prepared for the change “We had launched a campaign to encourage our clients to use electronic recharge by giving whoever uses e-recharge a 50% bonus of airtime up to the end of August”, said Airtel PR manager, Suminah Namaganda, whereas MTN’s Val Oketch (PRO) said the ongoing momo nyabo promotion is intended to create awareness and encourage customers to use e-recharge. Through this exercise, a number of customers won motorcars and other tokens.

Anxiety

However much this exercise has been inflicted on people by the UCC with hood intentions, there are still lots of questions and complaints from the customers;

1). What will happen to the customers who are not registered with mobile money and not planning to register soon?

2). How will customers in remote areas without operator dealer shops access or carry out this exercise?

3). If this has been encouraged to develop people from analogue to digital, is UCC having plans of teaching customers more about this new development?

4). What are the merits and demerits of this advancement?

5). For how long will this advancement take?

Although above and more complaints are arising, UCC expects its customers to abide by the development ethics.

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