An electronics money transfer system code named ‘Splash Mobile Money System’ has been introduced in Sierra Leone.

In an interview with Awareness Times, the brainchild behind this system, Sheka Forna, said the scheme offers the first domestic mobile payment service in Sierra Leone that allows mobile phone users to purchase and send ‘electronic money’ using the mobile phone SMS facility. He said the system also allows customers to conduct quick, easy, cheap and secure money transfer.

"Currently, the service is supported by the Zain and Africell networks only. It is available in Freetown, Bo, Makeni and Kenema, with network agents assigned to offer the service," he disclosed.

Explaining the process of opening a ‘Splash Account’, Mr. Forna said one only needs to visit the nearest "Splash Agent" or GT Bank and fill a registration form. "Splash will then send a text message containing the subscriber’s Personal Identification Number (PIN), followed by a secret word which the subscriber is required to memorize and delete totally from his phone to prevent others from reading it," he pointed out.

He furthered that to pay money into a splash account, subscribers need to visit the splash agent or GT Bank, and pay the amount of money he/she wishes to deposit into an account. "After that is done, the subscriber and the agent will receive receipt from splash, before leaving the point," he made clear. He said to use the service to send money, one must create a new text; type the word "splash", followed by the subscriber’s secret PIN, phone number, and amount the subscriber wants to send, and finally press the OK button.

The process is noted thus: "splash 1234 077xxxxxx 100,000", send to 700 and delete the message after the whole process.