Banking business on a standstill as network breaks down

NORTHERN PROVINCE Business at several banks in Ruhengeri Town was paralysed for two consecutive days. As such there was no banking activity such as withdrawals being made on Tuesday and Wednesday. The problem was attributed to a system glitch which emanated from an upgrading work being undertaken by network provider Rwandatel S.A. Rwandatel S.A provides a leased line network through which upcountry branches of the local banks can access the main server in Kigali for facilitating upcountry operations. Coming at the end of the month when workers expect salaries, long queues are witnessed within the different major banks such as BCR, Ecobank, BNR, Finabank and CSS Zigama where clients made frantic efforts to make withdrawals. Contacted, Rwandatel’s Public relations officer, Cleophas Kabasita confirmed the system breakdown. She explained that it was a ‘technical problem’ which was related to the upgrading of the system. But she added that the company’s technical engineers were busy working to sort out the problem. Meanwhile, in Gisenyi a similar problem is said to have occurred since Monday following the rehabilitation of the main road which affected the Rwandatel’s underground cables. Following the Gisenyi network breakdown many clients had flocked Ruhengeri branches only to find out the town was also suffering from a similar problem. Ends