Debit Card Debuts In Somaliland
A
money-transfer company has introduced the first-ever
debit card in the breakaway region of Somaliland.
The firm, Dahabshiil, hopes eventually to roll the
system out to all Somali-speaking areas from
Djibouti to Kenya.
The firm’s CEO, Abdul Rashid Mohamed said he hoped
to create a "cashless society" by encouraging
customers to link their accounts directly to their
cards.
The card, launched in Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa
is expected to reduce the long queues outside
money-transfer agencies.
Somaliland declared itself independent from Somalia
in 1991, when the country's central government
collapsed.
Since then, Somaliland has forged a relatively
stable state, despite its lack of international
recognition.
Yinka