In a drive to give a variety of services to its customers, Rwanda Electricity Cooperation (RECO) and Rwanda Water and Sanitation Corporation (RWASCO), is set to introduce a ‘Mobile Bill Payment’ system.

The new mode of payment will target the 2.5 million mobile phone users in the country.

The Acting Managing Director of RECO-RWASCO Yves Muyange told Business Times that the company is set to work with all the three mobile operators in executing the project.

"We are targeting all mobile users from all the three networks, we have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MTN Rwanda and they are waiting for the other two operators to approve.” Muyange explained.

He also added that the telecom operators are developing the technology and the service will be launched as soon as the technology and testing is done. 

Rwanda’s water and electricity provider is also introducing a new ‘Pre-payment Contract Service’.

The service is aimed at customers who are interested in paying invoices ahead of time. 

According to the acting Commercial Director of RECO and RWESCO, Lucien Ruterana, the company is working with all banks in the country and that a customer’s will be debited after a period agreed in the contract signed between the client and the utility body.

Officials said that the utility body will enter an agreement with customers according to their average water or electricity consumption. Payments will be made at the utility body’s branches across the country.

A period of time is set to balance the customer’s account and the service is designed for customers who wish to settle their water bills six months in advance instead of dealing with the inconvenience of monthly bills.

Ruterana explained that this will help people who are very busy or travel a lot and don’t get the time to queue and pay their bills.

"This is going to reduce work for us. We will no longer be going to people’s homes to cut  water or electricity because of a delay in payments,” he added.

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