GAS FASTA CUSTOMERS TO ORDER GAS THROUGH M-PESA

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Labour, Youth Employment and People with Disabilities, Hon. Patrobas Katambi (in the center) holds a symbolic gas cylinder to signify the official launch of the availability of Gas Fasta service on the M-Pesa Super App through a partnership that took place in Dar es Salaam. Alongside him on the right is the Director of M-Pesa, Mr. Epimack Mbeteni, and on the left is the Managing Director of Gas Fasta, Mr. Mohammed Albeiiti. The partnership aims at facilitating and promoting the use of natural gas in the country, during the first 30 days, customers will be refunded for up to ten thousand shillings when they purchase gas through the M-Pesa application.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Labour, Youth Employment and People with Disabilities, Hon. Patrobas Katambi, addresses invited guests during the official launch of the Gas Fasta service availability on the M-Pesa Super App through a partnership that took place in Dar es Salaam. Listening to him on the stage to his left is the Managing Director of Gas Fasta, Mr. Mohammed Albeiiti, and the Director of M-Pesa, Mr. Epimack Mbeteni. The partnership aims at facilitating and promoting the use of natural gas in the country, during the first 30 days, customers will be refunded for up to ten thousand shillings when they purchase gas through the M-Pesa application.

Customers of Vodacom Tanzania and Gas Fasta have been facilitated in accessing gas through the strategic collaboration between the two companies, allowing them to order, pay for, and have gas cylinders delivered through the M-Pesa Super App.

Speaking during the official launch of this partnership, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (Labour, Youth, Employment and People with Disability), Mr. Patrobas Katambi, praised the efforts made by the private sector in utilizing their digital innovation to support the government's initiatives, which will increase the enthusiasm of Tanzanians to use natural gas, which is environmentally friendly, throughout the country.

"I applaud M-Pesa and Gas Fasta for this strategic partnership that has combined forces to make it easier for your customers to access gas services digitally. This initiative will not only benefit your customers but also all Tanzanians in general because they all prefer the convenience, agility, and affordability of accessing services and products in line with their daily lives. As the government, we are making significant efforts to work with various stakeholders across the country to build enthusiasm and provide proper education on the use of natural gas, which is environmentally friendly. I urge for more partnerships like this in various sectors to achieve our goal of having all Tanzanians use natural gas for the benefit of public health and the overall economy," said Mr. Katambi.

Explaining the collaboration with Gas Fasta launched in Dar es Salaam, the Director of M-Pesa, Mr. Epimack Mbeteni, noted that this is a continuation of their efforts to make the M-Pesa application self-sufficient and enable Tanzanians to use it for digital purchases and payments for various services and products.

"We are delighted to welcome Gas Fasta to the M-Pesa Super App family. As we announced when we launched it, our goal is to make M-Pesa a part of Tanzanians’ daily lives, a 'Digital Lifestyle App,' while igniting a digital economic revolution in the country. This means that in the future, customers will only need a few different service applications on their phones and save some space, as M-Pesa alone will meet their needs. Our partnership with Gas Fasta is unique because it aligns with our broader goals as Vodacom Tanzania regarding environmental conservation. Furthermore, during the first 30 days, a customer will receive an instant refund of up to 10,000/- shillings when making gas purchases through the M-Pesa application," Mr. Mbeteni stated.

Additionally, the Director noted that M-Pesa's value creation model is based on collaborating with the surrounding communities and various stakeholders to deliver their services. This philosophy has enabled them to create both direct and indirect employment opportunities for approximately 1,000 Tanzanians and partner with government institutions and the private sector in payments and collections, thus stimulating economic growth.

On his part, the Managing Director of Gas Fasta, Mr. Mohammed Albeiiti, mentioned, "It is a great honor and pleasure to collaborate with M-Pesa, a platform that has revolutionized financial services integration in Tanzania and the entire East African region. Our Gas Fasta service was established after recognizing the inconvenience, time, and cost waste that Tanzanians experience when they run out of gas, especially while cooking. As we all know, you cannot throw away food or buy another one when you run out of gas; the solution is to order another cylinder. That's where we came up with a digital solution, recognizing that many people use smartphones, and we saw an opportunity to reach them anywhere, safely and securely. Given the size of M-Pesa and its technology, experience, and resources, we have high expectations for this partnership, particularly in the digital sector."

Through Gas Fasta, users can purchase gas and have it delivered to their location from all cooking gas distributors in the country, thus contributing to environmental conservation through the use of clean cooking energy. Likewise, through the M-Pesa Super App, users are empowered to make purchases and payments to approximately 20 service providers, including air travel tickets, television subscriptions, purchase-in installment payments, and many more.