Regulators need to create a level playing field for players in Africa’s digital payments ecosystem and ensure that the cost of transactions charged to end consumers using such platforms is reduced.
This was disclosed by the Group CEO of Pan-African fintech company, Cellulant, Akshay Grover while he was appraising Africa’s digital payments ecosystem during an interview session on Arise TV.
The Group CEO noted that regulators of Africa’s financial sector have an important role in ensuring the growth of the digital payment platforms and that both big and small players in the ecosystem operate profitably.
What Cellulant boss is saying about digital payment systems
Grover said, “Regulators can play a significant role in making sure that the ecosystem is well balanced. By that, I mean that there is a level playing field for the innovative small companies versus the large institutions.”
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He commended some of the regulators already playing a fantastic role and highlighted regulatory constraints around foreign exchange and foreign capital remittance on fintech operations.
“The need for fintech regulations cannot be over-emphasized, but there has to be a baseline. You cannot subject smaller fintech players to the same regulatory framework as large fintech companies; they will not survive. Regulators can play a vital role in driving further fintech development and digital adoption in Africa,” he stated.
Grover further noted that regulation can drive greater financial inclusion and reduce the fraction in payment transactions, but that too much regulation kills innovation, so there is a need to strike a balance.
“To drive transaction volume, the cost of the transactions which are charged to the merchants and the end-consumers needs to be reduced, and that lies in the hands of banks, mobile companies, and other large institutions. I think if you enable these two core areas to happen over time, it will significantly drive up digital adoption,” he said.
READ: Users of digital payment in Nigeria grew by 35% – CBN
What you should know
Cellulant, a Pan-African payments company serving global, regional, and local merchants in 35 African countries, is one of the innovative fintech players driving financial inclusion in Africa while ensuring safety, security, and integrity of transactions.
