Afghanistan telecom provider Roshan has joined U.S. financial services company Western Union to launch the Western Union Mobile Money Transfer service in Afghanistan. The new service lets M-Paisa customers receive money from abroad.

Launched in 2008, Roshan's M-Paisa was the first mobile financial service available in Afghanistan. With the new Western Union partnership, customers of the service in Afghanistan can receive Western Union Mobile Money Transfer transactions from around the world via deposit to their mobile wallet accounts.

"Together, Roshan and Western Union are enabling distant families to be connected, and also offering peace of mind for those with relatives in Afghanistan, who have previously struggled to send money back home," said Karim Khoja, chief executive officer of Roshan.  

"The launch of this service is another step toward making financial inclusion a reality for the almost 97 percent of Afghans who do not have access to traditional financial services, and is a continued demonstration of our mission to support economic development and empowerment throughout Afghanistan," Khoja said.

Roshan launched M-Paisa using technology from international wireless provider Vodafone, the company said. M-Paisa has enabled more than 1 million customers to receive their salaries, pay bills, receive and repay microfinance loans, send and receive money and purchase airtime directly from their Roshan phone, Roshan said.

The Western Union Mobile Money Transfer service is available in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Canada, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Paraguay, the Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda and the U.S., as well as agreements with mobile operators and financial institutions that plan to introduce the service soon in other countries.

For more stories on this topic, visit the Money Transfer/P2P research center.