Prospective and current students of the University of Guyana can now say goodbye to long lines for paying fees, since they can now make those payments using the GTT Mobile Money Guyana app. However, they will be subjected to a $100 service charge for the transaction.
On Friday, at the Turkeyen Campus, Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith and GTT’s Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) paving the way for the introduction of the service.
Griffith said one of the central reasons any university exists is to serve its main constituency, which are the students. He noted that the introduction of the online payment service assists in the delivery of service mandate of the university.
“For me this is more than a simple milestone, this is a milestone of enhancing the delivery of quality services; it is also the opportunity to do the enhancement of the partnership with GTT-allowing us to access the technology that is available with a business enterprise that has reputational value,” Professor Griffith said.
In order to access the Mobile Money Guyana Services, you would have to download the app from the Google Play Store or the BlackBerry app store. Upon completion, you would have to visit any GTT office or a MMG agent to sign up. A pin, just like your bank account, protects the MMG wallet.
Students desirous of using the MMG app to make UG payments can begin doing so since it is up and running. They can also choose from over 140 agents countrywide to be registered.
The VC said the students utilising the MMG service would be benefiting in the form of additional financial savings, convenience and a faster turnaround time for their applications and processing of fees.
“One of the things that will be captured is the opportunity for the partnership between GTT and UG to have other tangible elements. Part of what we are looking for in the partnership is to enable GTT to give to the university and its students additional benefits. I have asked that some of the additional benefits go to sports, medical services so there are a number of things from the vantage point of GTT are win-win and from the vantage point of UG are win-win,” he said.
Utilisation of that method of payment would also guarantee cash security since one would not have to withdraw large sums money from the bank to make the payments.
The service would also be of convenience for foreign students according to the VC.
There are students from over 33 countries attending UG and of the 8600 students approximately, 60 per cent pays cash.
“At GTT, we are focused on the customer and doing more and this is just another step in doing more. What the Mobile Money app allows you to do is to pay several university fees. It eliminates the cue. With Mobile Money you are able to pay your application fees, your dormitory fees, your processing fees,” GTT CEO, Justin Nedd, said.
He explained that more than 20,000 persons are using the MMG service and its growing and with this initiative it will continue to grow. However, there are strict rules governing the service since it is almost identical to the banking service. There are limits from $500 minimum to $60,000 maximum per transaction; in addition, the daily cap is $100,000.
The Mobile Money Service was introduced in 2012 and can be used to pay bills and purchase GTT cellphone credit. It is also available on the Digicel network.
