VOA标准英语2009年-With 'Splash Cash' Sierra Leoneans Move Mo

By Fid Thompson
Dakar
08 October 2009

 

 
Mobile banking¹ has already taken off in Southern and Eastern Africa. Sierra Leone is now one of the few West African countries with a service providing mobile phone transactions.

Across West Africa, the yellow and black signs of the money transfer company Western Union are ubiquitous. Up until now, this was the easiest way to send money for those without a bank account.

Now Sierra Leoneans have the chance to send money using just their mobile phone. With the mobile transfer service, Splash Mobile Money, there is no need for a bank account and registration² is free.

Ben Farren is Director of Splash Mobile Money Limited. He explains how the system works.

"Splash is a way of storing and sending money on your mobile phone," Farren said. "We sell mobile money or Splash Cash which you can buy and credit to your phone number. You can then send that Splash Cash to other people using simple instructions which you send to Splash via text message. The recipient³ can turn the Splash Cash they receive back into cash through a network of agents that we are creating."

Currently recipients⁴ can cash in at one of 30 Splash agents in the country. Most agents are centered in the capital, Freetown. But Splash also reaches the major regional towns of Bo and Makeni, with plans to expand to more remote areas in the coming months.

The cost of transferring money by phone depends on the amount being transferred. You can move as little as $1.50 for 16 cents or up to $300 for about $4.

Splash Mobile Money works in partnership⁵ with the Sierra Leonean bank Guaranty Trust Bank and the mobile phone networks, Africell and Zain.

After a decade-long civil war that ended in 2002, Sierra Leone's traditional communications infrastructure⁶ has suffered from neglect. But the mobile phone sector⁷ is growing fast, with five networks operating now and three more expected to launch soon. 

According to the World Bank, only about 9 percent of the adult population in Sierra Leone has a bank account. There are between 1.5 and 2 million mobile phone users in the country.

Farren says mobile cash could revolutionize the way money is used in Sierra Leone, removing barriers for people who cannot access bank accounts because of distance or cost.

"At a basic level it is difficult and expensive to send money today," Farren said. "And we make it cheap, easy, fast and safe for the first time."

In a country where, on average, people live on about two dollars a day and road infrastructure is poor, the opportunity to transfer small amounts of money cheaply and quickly by phone could have a significant impact on people's lives.

After only three weeks, 1,000 people have already signed up for Splash mobile money and according to Farrel the numbers are growing rapidly.

1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

3 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

4 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。