FISP prepaid cards to improve accountability

By NATION REPORTER VERVE International will help government improve efficiency and accountability in the handling of prepaid cards under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

The company and United Bank for Africa (UBA) have successfully completed the execution of partnership with the government to deliver cost effective prepaid cards to farmers under FISP. Lead Consultant Philip Ugbah said in a statement in Kitwe yesterday the project under the strategic partnership between Verve international and UBA will improve in many aspects, going forward.

Mr Ugbah said Verve international will support the growth of the programme while helping the government to combat challenges of high cost of card issuance and transactions as well as the issues of accountability and transparency.

Verve International is a leading payment brand in Africa.

As part of the partnership deal, Mr Ugbah said UBA successfully issued and distributed Verve Prepaid cards to farmers under FISP.

He said the government is facilitating significant boost in food production by funding the cards issued to each farmer with US$170 while the farmer contributed US$40 towards purchase of farm inputs.

He said many farmers in the country have benefited from the programme since its inception in 2015 and the government plans to extend it even further with more than one million farmers expected to benefit over the next few farming seasons.

Through this partnership, Zambia has joined a growing list of African countries and this clearly reinforces the payment brand’s market positioning as the preferred Pan African card in domestic and cross border transactions.

Mr Ugbah said Verve International is poised to expand its expertise to other financial institutions in Zambia by executing track-able low-cost government donor funded disbursements, digital payments and financial inclusion programs.