LAPF uses mobile tech to penetrate informal sector

DAILY NEWS Reporter

LAPF pension fund Director General Eliud Sanga

LOCAL authority pension fund (LAPF) has open more doors to allow informal sector to join and submit statutory payments through mobile phones while encouraging people to join the fund.

Entrepreneurs and farmers in villages now can use their mobile phones after registering themselves to LAPF Voluntary Scheme and make payment transaction through “L-PESA MENU which is available through M-Pesa and Tigo Pesa.

LAPF’s Marketing Communication and Customers Manager Mr James Mlowe told media reporters  that, registered members through LAPF Voluntary Scheme can make their payments as many times as possible per day from the lowest sum of one thousand shillings up to a millions and increase their servings.

Mr Mlowe further noted that, LAPF has decided to apply modern communication technology of money transfer and payments through mobile phones and also said, the approach aimed to speed up reaction of people to join the fund voluntarily and submit their contributions as simple as possible whenever they are in the country.

He also noted that, the scheme known as “Jiongeze na LAPF” targets all people at various place of work to make savings of their monies for future use.

Mr Mlowe further noted that, registered members at voluntary scheme will also be allowed to withdraw some cash after making reasonable savings but no any deductions will be subjective to their payments, he traced Mr Mlowe.

According to Voluntary Scheme manager for LAPF, Ms Hanim Babiker told reporters that, LAPF had started to operate such a scheme since the year 2010 by using Airtel mobile phone Company as a platform to enhance payment transaction but registration and statutory submission were too slow.

Ms Babiker also said, to date only total of 1,500 members had already joined the fund by using Airtel platform but now TCRA allows LAPF to transact via Vodacom and Tigo mobile money services which targets to register over total of 3,000 new members by December this year.

Ms Babiker also urged all peoples who work at various sectors includes individuals at entrepreneurial groups, farmers, pastoralists or fisheries to join the fund by registering direct at LAPF offices all over the country or via LAPF website and acquire registration ID Number and start transacting, she said.

Either, Representative from Tigo Mobile Company who is also Regional Distribution Coordinator for Dodoma Region, Mr Gidion Morris said, all people who will transact through Tigo Pesa as their platform to LAPF, their monies will reach LAPF safe with no any deductions.