More than 463,000 people have so far used mobile money services since the first pilot platforms were launched by operators in Vietnam late last year, reports Vietnam Plus. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), so far 77,200 establishments have accepted this method of payment across the country. The ministry said it will build mechanisms to promote, manage and supervise the deployment of mobile money services this year, and will continue to encourage mobile operators to transform telecoms infrastructure into digital infrastructure in order to develop e-government and a digital economy and society.
As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed Decision No. 316/QD-TTg approving a pilot programme for the introduction of mobile money services in March 2021. From that date, telecoms operators and e-wallet providers were permitted to apply for licences to trial mobile money services, under which telecoms accounts can be used to pay for small value goods and services, for a period of two years. The following November, MobiFone and VNPT became the first operators to secure approval to pilot mobile money services nationwide, with the latter launching trial services via VNPT-Vinaphone one week later. Viettel received its trial permit the following month.