AfricaPress-Tanzania: THREE commercial banks have introduced banking agents in some villages in Musoma District to allow villagers to access services while they work to establish bank branches.
The banks are NMB Bank, CRDB Bank and NBC.
Musoma District Commissioner, Dr Vincent Anney, said the banks had introduced their agents which were providing banking services to people as they proceed with plans to establish their branches.
“NMB and NBC banks have already introduced services in our district … this is an important step taken before the banks have set up their branches,” said Dr Anney.
The DC explained that NMB Bank agents were in the villages of Bukima and Mugango, while CRDB Bank agents were in the villages of Saragana, Seka, Bukima and Mugango.
Dr Anney named other villages expected to benefit from NMB Bank and CRDB Bank services in the future as Bwai Paris, Busekela, Etaro and Nyambono, adding that NBC would start providing services in Murangi V illage.
“Perhaps Musoma District is made up of two Musoma municipal councils and Musoma District with 68 villages whose villagers rely on banking services available in the town,” he said.
He said the introduction of the services would help them access them in their areas unlike in the past when they had to travel long distances to access them.
He said the residents of Busekela and other local areas had been travelling more than 90km to access financial services in the city, but could now access surrounding areas.
He said one of these places could go to the villages of Bukima, Seka, Saragana or Mugango and get banking services.
The presence of such agents in some villages, he said, was concerted effort by various stakeholders including Musoma Rural MP, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, who had been partnering with the government to promote development.
“This MP has been campaigning for the presence of banks in his constituency to facilitate the provision of financial services and they are now putting agents in place to prepare themselves for bank buildings,” he said.
