/PRNewswire/ - Haitian wireless operator Voila, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Trilogy International Partners, and Unibank, Haiti's premier Haitian Bank, are pleased to announce they have received all the requisite regulatory approvals to launch Haiti's first mobile money service, under the commercial name "T-CASH." With full regulatory approval, and having completed a successful nine month pilot program with international relief and development agency Mercy Corps, Voila and Unibank are well positioned to expand the benefits of mobile money to other NGOs and the larger Haitian population safely, securely and efficiently.

Voila and Unibank received final approval in the form of a letter of non-objection received today from the Banque de la Republique d'Haiti (BRH), Haiti's central bank. Voila received a similar letter earlier in the month from the nation's telecommunications regulator, Conseil National des Telecommunications (CONATEL), clearing the path to enable Haitians to use their Voila phones as 'mobile wallets.'

"The introduction of mobile money solutions in Haiti represents a significant milestone in Haiti's recovery and growth efforts," said Charles Castel, Haiti's Central Bank governor. "We applaud the initiative of the Bank-MNO consortiums to leverage the innovative use of wireless technology to provide access to basic financial services to the disenfranchised people of Haiti. It is a sine qua non for sensible growth and development. That being said, the cost of these electronic transactions will make or break mobile banking. I invite the players to focus on volume so to harness this big opportunity for a more efficient payments system and a more inclusive financial system," Castel said.

The first phase of Voila's and Unibank's mobile money service, called "T-CASH" or telephonecash, will bolster critical humanitarian assistance by expanding the mobile money pilot projects that Voila and Unibank launched early this year in concert with Mercy Corps. Over the next nine months, approximately 100,000 Haitians in the impoverished Central Plateau and lower Artibonite regions will benefit from Mercy Corps' cash programs, using T-CASH service to receive and make payments. Beneficiaries will now be able to use these electronic funds to purchase food and non-food items including shelter material from a network of affiliated merchants throughout the provinces, using their Voila phones.

"As money comes in for reconstruction efforts, relief organizations need access to the most efficient methods of distribution possible to minimize the cost of providing needed services and programs," said Robin Padberg, CEO of Voila. "Historically up to 40 cents of every dollar was spent on logistics and security associated with moving cash. With Voila and Unibank's mobile money solution, this can be reduced to just a few cents. With T-CASH, Voila continues our tradition of providing quality, innovative mobile solutions by giving millions of unbanked Haitians access to a full range of financial services via their mobile phone."

In early 2011, Voila and Unibank plan to expand T-CASH beyond NGOs to individual customers throughout the country with a full suite of e-wallet services, including domestic peer-to-peer money transfer, bill pay, top up services, and expanded mobile commerce capabilities with a goal to establish hundreds of affiliated merchants and cash in/cash out locations throughout the country over the next several months.

"Unibank is proud to participate with its technological partner, Voila, in the launch of the first electronic wallet service in Haiti," said F. Carl Braun, Chairman of Unibank. "In doing so, Unibank perpetuates its tradition of technological leadership in the financial sector. The T-CASH service will be critical for the extension of banking services beyond traditional branches and the inclusion of the non-banked population particularly in rural areas. With the electronic wallet, financial services will be instantly available throughout the country," Braun said.

The T-CASH platform is available to relief organizations throughout the country. NGOs and government agencies interested in deploying mobile money solutions in Haiti can send inquiries directly to tcash@voila.ht or marketing@unibankhaiti.com.

About Voila
Voila is a leading mobile telecommunications operator in Haiti, providing high-quality, affordable wireless service to well over a million subscribers. Since its inception over 10 years ago, it has invested over US$200 million in Haiti. Voila employs over 500 local staff and provides indirect employment to more than 25,000 Haitians through a micro-enterprise venture whereby local entrepreneurs sell time and minute recharges on a customized cell phone. Voila is a subsidiary of Trilogy International Partners LLC, a privately-held company based in Bellevue, WA. In December 2009 Voila received the US Department of State's prestigious Award for Corporate Excellence from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. In early 2009 Voila was selected as one of ten (10) finalists by the Organization of American States for its corporate citizenship in the Americas. For more information on Voila, please see its website: www.voila.ht.

About Trilogy International Partners, LLC
Trilogy International Partners, LLC (Trilogy) is a privately-held company based in Bellevue, WA. Trilogy invests in wireless telecommunication operations in international markets that exhibit strong opportunities for significant growth. Trilogy and its businesses owns wireless communications systems in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, and New Zealand, holding licenses to provide wireless services to over 31 million people. For more information on Trilogy, please see its website: www.trilogy-international.com.

About Unibank
Since its inception in July 1993, UNIBANK has emerged as Haiti's fastest-growing bank and has transformed itself into Haiti's leading financial institution, striking the imagination, providing innovation and constantly introducing new products and services. UNIBANK is Haiti's largest bank, with assets exceeding USD 1 billion. UNIBANK is the flagship company of Groupe Financier National (GFN)® a conglomerate of 15 enterprises located in Haiti and abroad, with 850,000 customers in Haiti and 270,000 Haitian customers living abroad. The Group has 1,828 employees and 568 points of services comprising 45 UNIBANK branches and 20 additional offices specializing in Micro finance, credit card services, investment banking, retail consumer credit, and financial and economic consulting. UNITRANSFER, the remittance company of the Group, has 186 offices and remittance paying-agents throughout Haiti and 317 International offices and agents in the United States, Canada and various countries in the Caribbean. For more information on UNIBANK, see its website: www.unibankhaiti.com.

Trilogy International Partners

Trilogy International Partners

multinational telecom providing cell phone service in Haiti, the DR and Bolivia.

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