Our Telekom mobile banking platform M-Selen has reached a major milestone, with more than 350,000 customers now registered across the Solomon Islands.

Launched by Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and Our Telekom, M-Selen has quickly become one of the country’s most widely used digital financial services.

In addition to the growing customer base, the platform now boasts over 3,000 active M-Selen agents nationwide — serving communities from urban centres to the most remote villages.

Speaking to Solomon Star in an interview on Friday during a two day workshop with representatives of International Labour Organization (ILO) and Informal Sectors in Gizo, Our Telekom Service Network Agent Manager, Aseri Grouse said, M-Selen  enables users to carry out mobile money transactions such as bill payments, top-ups, fund transfers, and withdrawals through their phones, helping bridge the gap for people without access to traditional banking services.
Mr. Grouse said, strong uptake is a sign of growing trust and confidence in digital financial services, particularly in rural areas where access to banking remains limited.
He said the expansion of agent networks also supports job creation and local entrepreneurship, with many agents operating small kiosks or mobile booths offering M-Selen services.
“The platform continues to evolve, with new features with the newly introduced MSlen Merchant that enable customers and users to use their mobile smart phones to purchase goods and services from shops without using hard cash on hand.
“Instead of buying goods like packet rice, taiyo, noodles and other goods they will just use their phone to do transactions and buy goods from shops,” he added.
Mr. Grouse added that to make it more reliable it didn’t cost any fees at all.
He said it is even better when you want to withdraw cash and it costs less.
“The merchant platform is now operational and fixed and people, customers are slowly getting used to it.
“If there’re any changes that need to be adjusted, we will monitor how it goes.
“Currently we are doing a two month promotion on the M-Selen Merchant as it operates throughout the country,” he added.
 M-Selen was first introduced in June 2023 through a project funded by the Government of Australia and supported by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
 M-SELEN is now available in all Our Telekom offices around the country, bringing banking services to previously underserved areas and providing thousands of Solomon Islanders with access to affordable, reliable, and secure financial services.

By ULUTAH GINA

Solomon Star, Gizo