[2012.08.25] 手机货币服务：用用我们吧!

2012-8-27 20:22| 发布者: migmig| 查看: 6056| 评论: 5|原作者: 豆豆小猴儿

摘要: 监管者若为移动货币的发展让路，势必将造福更多贫困国家的子民。

手机货币服务

用用我们吧!

监管者若为移动货币的发展让路，势必将造福更多贫困国家的子民。

2007年，肯尼亚最大的移动运营商Safaricom开通了一项名为M-PESA的服务（“M-PESA”在斯瓦西里语中是“移动货币”的意思，译者注），该服务可以让人们用手机实现收付款。此项服务开通至今已有1500万注册用户，覆盖了该国70%的成年人口，并已成为肯尼亚经济的重要组成部分：经此渠道流通的资产约占其国民生产总值的25%。

与之相似的服务也在其他地方初获成功。现在已经有超过120家运营商提供名目繁多的手机货币服务，还有90家运营商即将参与其中。东非的手机货币服务发展得尤为迅猛。在许多贫穷的国家，这种服务本可发展得枝繁叶茂，然而事实却并非如此。

口袋里的银行

手机货币服务在发展中国家尤其有用。城里的务工人员可以直接汇钱给生活在村子里的家人，省却了公交车上的一日颠簸。没错，他可以直接用手机支付家里人的日常开销。这种支付方式也更安全：因为没人愿意带着一沓沓现金坐公交。

许多使用手机货币的用户既没有多少钱也去不了银行，而这项服务正好为他们提供了一种小额存款的方法。世界银行的一份报告指出，使用M-PESA服务的人拥有存款的可能性要比与他们情况类似但不使用该服务的人高出三分之一。移动交易比现金交易更易于追踪，这就增加了贪官腐吏暗中挪用公款的难度。最近肯尼亚还发现此项服务能带来的另外一个好处：内罗华（肯尼亚首都，译者注）的一批新公司正在开发基于此项服务的新产品和新服务，而M-PESA的成功则为这些公司的事业奠定了基础（见文章）。

然而肯尼亚的成功却未在其他地方得到较多的复制。全球逾半数的移动货币交易由Safaricom公司经手。手机货币服务在少数像苏丹和索马里这样社会秩序混乱的国家流行，却在原本能造福大众的绝大多数地方鲜为使用，这其中就包括印度和中国。

诚然，并不是所有的国家都需要手机货币服务。富裕国家有自助柜员机、信用卡和网上银行，很少需要这种服务。发展中国家则并不具备肯尼亚发展此业务的特定环境条件。Safaricom开办M-PESA业务之时，已经赢得了市场的主导地位，这就为其开展服务提供了庞大的用户基数。同时，此业务在某些发展中国家没有得到发展也是有其不利原因的。肯尼亚政府积极引导本国M-PESA产业的发展，而非用繁文缛节将其束之高阁。很多贫困国家本应从手机货币业务中获益颇丰，可他们好像一个劲儿地将这种服务的供应商们拒之门外——这主要是因为他们坚持认为这些供应商也应像银行一样得到规范。

这种情况的出现由慵懒和领域保护主义共同所致：要是总统的堂兄弟掌控着一国主要的银行，他可能就不会急着让手机货币系统降价了。金融交易需要监管，这点毋庸置疑，然而同样显而易见的是，廉价的货币交易系统（如M-PESA）彻底的贷款银行(如花旗集团)还是有着很大不同的。

安全方面的担心通常不难解决。通过限制交易额和存款总额就可以降低用手机货币服务洗钱的风险。这样一来，该服务就无需适用银行业要求的“知晓顾客”的苛刻条款。大部分政府需要了解的信息都可以在每位顾客所签的手机合约中找到。

也有人担心消费者保护方面的问题：他们担心狡猾的运营商会顺走用户的钱。那么让运营商与银行达成合作关系好了，这种折中的办法已经在数个非洲国家采用。要么也可以像菲律宾尝试的那样，倘若监管部门可在后台任意监督而不受限，那么移动运营商的经营活动也可不受制约。,

的确，政府与其和手机货币服务作斗争，不如将其为己所用。阿富汗就用本地化的M-PESA服务给警察和其他政府官员发工资。坦桑尼亚也支持用手机货币服务缴税。该服务还可用来发放福利和救济款。其他的国家应取法乎上。

【补充阅读】

1. Safaricom, Ltd is a leading mobile network operator in Kenya. It was formed in 1997 as a fully owned subsidiary of Telkom Kenya. In May 2000, Vodafone group Plc of the United Kingdom acquired a 40% stake and management responsibility for the company.
As of January 17, 2011, Robert Collymore is the CEO; he succeeded Michael Joseph on November 1, 2010, after Joseph's ten years as Safaricom CEO.[1] Recent reports appearing in the cross section of the press indicate that Vodafone Plc of UK only owns 35% and the remaining 5% is owned by a little known company, Mobitelea Ventures Limited. The reports have caused a stir which led to the summoning of its CEO Michael Joseph to appear before the PIC "Public Investment Committee", during which he denied knowing who the other shareholder is. It is widely believed that the former regime arm twisted Vodafone to shed off the 5% as a kickback to high-ranking officials in the regime. Safaricom's initial public offering of stock, on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, closed in mid April 2008.

Safaricom employs over 1500 people mainly stationed in Nairobi and other big cities like Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret in which it manages retail outlets. Currently, it has nationwide dealerships to ensure customers across the country have access to its products and services.

As of January 2010, Safaricom boasts a subscriber base of approximately 12 million, most of whom are in the major cities - Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru.

Its headquarters are located in Safaricom House, Waiyaki Way in Westlands, Nairobi. It has other offices in the city center in I&M building, Kenyatta Avenue, on Kimathi Street and at Shankardass House - next to Kenya Cinema Moi Avenue.

Its main rival is Airtel Kenya. Other rivals include Essar's YU and Orange Wireless.

Safaricom has charitable functions where it helps the less fortunate in the society mostly through the Safaricom Foundation.

2. Mobile payment, also referred to as mobile money, mobile banking, mobile money transfer, and mobile wallet generally refer to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device.

Financial institutions and credit card companies as well as Internet companies such as Googleand a number of mobile communication companies, such as mobile network operators and major telecommunications infrastructure and handset multinationals such as Ericsson have implemented mobile payment solutions.

3. M-Pesa (M for mobile, pesa is Swahili for money) is a mobile-phone based money transfer service for Safaricom, Kenya's largest mobile network operator. Currently the most developed mobile payment system in the developing world, M-Pesa allows users to deposit, withdraw, and transfer money easily with a mobile device. Registration requires a national ID card or passport. It is a system of microfinancing that is widely used in Kenya.