VANCOUVER - August 4, 2011 - VendTek Systems Inc (TSX-V - VSI) (the "Company" or VendTek"), a developer and licensor of software for the global pre-paid and financial services market, is pleased to announce a partnership with Roshan and M-Paisa, Afghanistan's first mobile money transfer service. Through the partnership, the companies will help grow the financial services industry in Afghanistan and promote financial inclusion in the country.
Introduced in 2008 by Roshan, Afghanistan's leading telecommunications provider, M-Paisa is the country's first mobile money service providing service to 97% of the unbanked population in the country. M-Paisa offers safe, secure, and fast access to a range of financial services, including salary disbursements, merchant payments, receipt and payment of microfinance loans, airtime purchase, and peer-to-peer money transfer.
VendTek will develop additional mobile money functionality and provide consultancy support to M-Paisa as it expands the range of services available in Afghanistan. This partnership will enable M-Paisa to be at the forefront of product innovation and continue to meet the growing needs of the Afghan people and financial services industry to provide greater access for the unbanked population with new and much needed services.
"We are very excited to partner with M-Paisa and Roshan to help support the growth of mobile financial services to Afghanistan," said Doug Buchanan, President and Chief Executive Officer of VendTek. "Our initial focus will be to introduce bank integration," continued Mr. Buchanan.
"Our vision is to create an ecosystem for safe, transparent and secure financial services, using mobile money to complement the existing financial system. Roshan and M-Paisa are pleased to be partnering with VendTek, which will enable us to provide a range of new and innovative services to our customers. This partnership will help us expand access to important financial services for Afghans, contributing to the economic development of the country," said Zahir Khoja, Director, Mobile Money.
M-Paisa is part of the Vodafone Money Transfer Group, which has over 22 million M-Paisa/M-Pesa customers worldwide. In April 2011, M-Paisa received Afghanistan's first Electronic Money Institute (EMI) license from Da Afghanistan Bank. Most recently, the service received international recognition with a Telecom Asia Award for Best Community Development Service, and a Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Money Service for the Unbanked.
For more information please contact Samantha White at 604-805-4653 or 1-800-806-4958 or investment@vendteksystems.com.
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