Banque Populaire du Rwanda Plc (BPR Plc) in partnership with the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Rwanda and MoPay, a local tech-based company, on Thursday, October 15, launched a digital payment system to be used while collecting tithes and offerings in SDA churches in Rwanda.

Dubbed Church Finance and Management System (CFMS), the system will see Christians in SDA churches conveniently offer and tithe using their mobile phones, either using smartphones or feature phones.

To use the platform, Christians will have two options; to access the USSD code by dialing *517# or download the MoPay App available on either App Store or Play Store.

Speaking to the press after the launch of the platform, Xavier Mugisha Shema, Chief Business Officer of BPR Plc, said that the partnership is in line with the country’s vision to become a cashless economy.

He said: "We are privileged to work with the Seventh Day Adventist Church and introduce this tech-based system, which supports the country’s aspiration to become a cashless economy.”

"BPR is committed to providing innovative solutions, and we are going to see the possibility of introducing alike solutions in other places of worship as well,” he added.

With the fact that BPR so far has over 184 branches and more than 300 bank agents across the country, and the availability of over 2,000 local SDA’s churches, the partnership will also present an opportunity to bridge the financial inclusion divide.

The system will ensure efficiency

According to Pastor Hesron Byilingiro, President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rwanda, CFMS is more efficient compared to the current method being used in collecting tithes and offerings.

"We believe that the church shouldn’t be left behind when it comes to embracing technology and its positive benefits. Based on tests we carried out recently, this new system is more fast and efficient compared to the manual method, because it will ensure accurate accounting among other various benefits,” he said.

He added: "We are now going to train church leaders across the country on how to use this system, so as to ensure that no one is left behind. These church leaders will also train their church members.”

Byilingiro also noted that though the idea of CFMS came in 2017 before the Covid-19 outbreak, its implementation is timely because the government is also encouraging cashless payments in prevention of the pandemic’s spread.

BPR Plc reiterated its aspiration to be an innovator in the market place, leveraging mobile technology to increase access to finance.