Etisalat has partnered with Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the power utility company in Afghanistan, to give DABS customers in Kabul the ability to pay their electricity bills through Etisalat’s mobile payments system.

The agreement with DABS further extends Etisalat’s mobile payment platform.  Last month the company revealed that more than $1.8 billion was transferred in 2011 across the platform in the UAE.

Mobile money services allow customers to pay bills or make remittances using SMS text messages, often at a cheaper cost than through banks or money transfer firms.

“We want to make the mobile phone the bank in our customers’ pockets.  It’s the device that bridges the digital divide, catalysing growth, connecting people to the world — in some cases for the first time — and it gives people everywhere access to education, health care and banking,” said Essa al Haddad, chief marketing officer at Etisalat Group.

“Our Mobile Commerce platform provides services to the un-banked and under-banked in the emerging markets of Africa and Asia, giving people the tools to trade and money transfer to develop micro-economies.  This latest development in Afghanistan is further proof of how we are using innovation to change people’s lives for the better.”

Dr Ali Asgharzadeh, chief commercial officer, Etisalat Afghanistan, said:  “Mobile bill payment gives our customers a quicker, more secure bill payment solution.  Convenience is a major component of our bill payment proposition.”

“The service saves time, and is both simple to use and always available - anywhere, anytime.  Our goal is to give all Afghans access to innovative mobile services that improve their quality of life.”

Currently, DABS customers have the option of making bill payments at DABS offices or branches of various banks.

The partnership with Etisalat gives customers more flexibility by allowing them to pay their bills at Etisalat shops or authorised Etisalat distributors, or via their mobile phones on a 24-hour basis. – TradeArabia News Service