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How to pay for the Kenya ferry services using MPESA on your mobile phone

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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5
How to pay for the Kenya ferry services using MPESA on your mobile phone

Just recently, the Kenya Ferry Services and Safaricom inked a deal in which customers would be able to pay for services offered using MPESA. The deal targets motorists who have to pay every time they use ferry services and since MPESA is widely used, payments will be simplified removing previous hiccups such as requiring to have exact change and of course handling cash.

MPESA has managed to graduate into becoming a household name with almost every business now allowing customers to pay via the mobile wallet. Because of its simplicity and enormous adoption across the country including private and government sectors, MPESA enjoys more than 90 percent of the market share and agents can be found just about any corner of the country.

Speaking on the deal, the Kenya Ferry Services Managing Director Bakari Gowa said the solution would allow customers to pay via MPESA acknowledging the firm’s intention to change with times and serve customers better. Gowa further said the deal would increase speed and efficiency as they move to automate most functions of the ferry services including issuance of passes.

Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa on his part acknowledged how MPESA had managed to convince Kenyans and become the most preferred payment method owing to its speed convenience and simplicity. Ndegwa also highlighted how MPESA had enabled Kenyans to keep themselves safe by shunning handling cash and instead using cashless option to complete their transactions.

Ndegwa also pointed out the company was We are delighted to forge the partnership with the Kenya Ferry Services to enable payments that are quick, easy and on-the-go as customers interact with the ferry services. The Kenya Ferry Services carry over 300,000 pedestrians and more than 6,000 vehicles daily across the Likoni channel.

How to pay for Ferry services using MPESA

  • On your phone, dial *721# then press “Call”
  • Choose between Ferry pass for Mombasa to Likoni or Likoni to Mombasa
  • Select Vehicle type from the options i.e., 1 for Car
  • Then Select the amount from the menu depending on whether the vehicle is loaded, empty or towing
  • At the moment Kenya ferry services charges Ksh. 120 for an empty car, Ksh. 180 for a loaded one and Ksh. 300 for towing
  • Confirm the transaction

Kenyan CRBs drop 337 digital lenders from forwarding names of defaulters for backlisting

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
Kenyan CRBs drop 337 digital lenders from forwarding names of defaulters for backlisting

Kenyan credit reference bureaus have barred 337 unregulated digital lenders from forwarding names of defaulters for blacklisting. This comes a few months after Kenya’s financial sector regulator – the CBK unveiled new guidelines outlining how names of defaulters should be forwarded to the bureaus. According to the CRBs, only 2,254 firms have been allowed to forward names, a significant drop from previous 2,332 as of September last year.

In the wake of the current pandemic, the central bank of Kenya issued new regulations governing circumstances under which someone was to be forwarded for blacklisting. The guidelines included delisting of people with less than Ksh. 1,000 in defaults. Some lenders reacted by increasing the minimum amount someone would be required to borrow such as M-Shwari while others ceased operations altogether.

Unregulated lenders have been accused of misusing the credit information sharing (CIS) mechanism and even resorted to unscrupulous ways to force borrowers to pay back loans. The most notable means used by these lenders included shaming borrowers by sending text messages to contact of the person instructing them to inform borrowers to pay.

Pre-covid-19 period experienced a surge in number of digital lenders in the country. Kenyans were wooed with quick loans that didn’t necessarily require any form of security and in return borrowers were to pay back at exorbitant interest rates. This led to most people in the country becoming slaves to lenders, you’d repay back with the assumption to take another loan at least increasing the repayment period.

In a statement, the CBK attributes their withdrawal to numerous complains from the public over misuse of credit information sharing. Digital lenders such as Tala and Branch were barred from Metropol, TransUnion and Creditinfo International.

Millions of Kenyans had been blacklisted as defaulters following economy crunch where job cuts and near stagnant wages exposed thousands of people to debt traps. Last year alone, more than 2.7 million Kenyans had been blacklisted as a result of loans less than Ksh. 1,000.  

How to withdraw money from unaitas sacco account to MPESA using a phone

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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25
How to withdraw money from unaitas sacco account to MPESA using a phone

Members of the Unitas Sacco can withdraw money from their accounts to MPESA using a USSD code right on their mobile phone. The organization started off as a deposit taking savings and credit cooperative but has since introduced more services to be at par with most financial institutions.

And like any other financial institution, Unaitas members faced interruptions during the pandemic period and most services have since been moved to online as well as mobile banking where you don’t have to visit their branches but rather access services right on their mobile devices.

How to withdraw money from Unaitas Sacco account to MPESA using a mobile phone

  • On your mobile phone, Dial *493# then press call
  • Enter your credentials to login, your National ID number followed by Mo-Cash PIN.
  • From the menu, select Withdraw Option
  • From the next window, choose account number you intent to withdraw from.
  • Then put the amount to be withdrawn and confirm the transaction.
  • You should receive a text message from MPESA momentarily

Digital tax defaulters to face huge fines instead of earlier recommendations to be barred

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
Digital tax defaulters to face huge fines instead of earlier recommendations to be barred

Foreign and local companies that fail to comply with Kenya’s digital tax requirements will now face huge fines instead of earlier recommendations that indicated they could be barred from operating in the country. According to new regulations published by the treasury cabinet secretary, Kenya seems to have softened its stance from earlier recommendations that could have restricted any foreign or local company that failed to comply with new digital tax requirements.

Companies that fail to remit digital taxes amounting to 1.5 percent and VAT will now face fines rather than being blocked from operating in the country. In the new proposals that are expected to come into effect starting January 1, 2021, firms that don’t comply with the stipulated taxes will face cash penalties equivalent to double the amount expected in taxes or Ksh. 100,000 fines. This is according to disciplinary measures outlined under the Tax Procedure Act Kenya.

In the provisions, an entity that fails to comply with the regulations shall face penalties prescribed under the Act or the Tax Procedures Act, 2015. If the current regulations are anything to by, this will effectively mean the government has relaxed earlier proposals in a gazette notice dated September 25, 2020. In addition, the government has also dropped earlier requirement to have digital firms register with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) within 30 days, they’ll now be expected to register within six months.

Other provisions include having foreign firms availing details for registrations such as their official websites, certificate of incorporation, tax identification number issued to the supplier, postal address, name of the person handling the tax affairs of the supplier, email address and phone numbers.

The new regulations were unveiled in the Finance Act 2019 to increase KRA’s scope of colleting revenues from all perceived businesses including those without a physical presence in country but engaging in e-commerce.

There have been speculations on how the government intents to enforce these regulations given that most of targeted companies such as Netflix do not have a presence in the country. Rumors doing rounds also indicate that digital tax may not impact American companies after all, with an imminent trade deal between the two countries.

Taxable downloadable content includes mobile apps, e-books, movies, music, games and tickets. The government is also targeting subscription-based media such as News, magazines, journals as well as viewable content and audio.

More Kenyans used text messages to communicate than calls during the covid-19 period

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
More Kenyans used text messages to communicate than calls during the covid-19 period

It seems the novel corona virus had unprecedented impact on how Kenyans contacted themselves not only in terms of social distancing, but also the way we communicated with one another. According to statistics released by Kenya’s ICT regulator – the Communications Authority, Kenyans used text messages to communicate in the three months period to June more than they used phone calls in the same period.

This could be attributed to several factors including the economic effect the pandemic had on our way of life, considering text messages are relatively cheaper than making phone calls. Consumers were keen to spend on areas that were deemed essential thereby cutting costs wherever they could. Data released by the Communications Authority (CA) indicate that more Kenyans used short text messages with a reported 19.5 percent rise to 20.09 billion compared to 16.81 billion in the three months leading to March 2020.

While text messages were favored in the period, voice traffic recorded a negative drop of 0.9 percent representing 15.2 billion minutes in the pandemic period. Coincidentally, its during the same period that most mobile service providers retired airtime discounts on their respective networks. According to the Communications Authority, voice traffic was impacted by reduced calls promotions during the same period.

Tough economic times during the same period must have drove more Kenyans to prefer texting than making calls, the pandemic period was marred with job loses, salary cuts as well as unpaid leave in some cases which in turn impacted the amount consumers were able to spend.

Mobile service providers at the time had attractive SMS bundles that supposedly also contributed to more Kenyans preferring texts rather than calls. It was also noted that SMS communication is particularly popular amongst young population who had been actively at home following prolonged closure of learning institutions.  

According to the Authority, Safaricom’s SMS promotion which rewarded subscribers with mobile phones for those who were lucky in the draws played a pivotal role, giving the mobile service provider an upper hand, that dominated 95 percent of the segment. Safaricom’s SMS segment reached 19 billion text messages in the same period. Airtel Kenya followed with 901.47 million SMSs or 4.5 per cent of the market, while Telkom Kenya accounted for 83 million texts or 0.4 per cent of the market.

Calls on the other hand experienced a decline, something the regulator attributed to Safaricom and the restrictions placed to curb the spread of the virus. The pandemic affected working hours and activities with some businesses rescheduling working hours to beat the imposed curfew.

Safaricom’s voice traffic dropped by 0.9 percent to 9.1 billion minutes from 10 billion minutes in March. According to the CA the decline could be attributed to the end of Stori Ibambe (Storo Bonus) promotion which ended on 13th May 2020.

Airtel Africa opts for Ericsson to upgrade its current 4G network to be 5G ready

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
Airtel Africa opts for Ericsson to upgrade its current 4G network to be 5G ready

Artel has settled on Ericsson to upgrade its current 3G network to 4G and make it 5G ready, the move is expected to avail a faster internet connection on the Airtel network compared to previous 3G network. The world over has steadily started migrating from LTE connections to 5G which is deemed to be several times faster than its predecessor. The deal is expected to modernize voice and data quality within the network.

Due to the current effects caused by the novel corona virus, most companies have opted to have staff work from their homes, a move that was undertaken to reduce the risk of infections while making sure the firms continued to offer services to customers. Schools also shut down as a result and in many cases, some education institutions adopted e-learning to mitigate any loss on learners’ side.

This in turn drove more people to use internet as a means to access learning materials as well as services from various companies including financial institutions. Data consumption increased tremendously here in Kenya, and this could only mean consumers were looking for any provider that offered reliable, cheaper and faster internet connection.

While Airtel Kenya has some of the most affordable data rates in the country, their network hasn’t been always the fastest, Safaricom, Telkom and even JTL have all been regarded as better alternatives when it comes to internet speeds. Airtel Africa intents to modernize the existing infrastructure while driving simplification. And with Ericsson’s Radio System and Packet Core solutions, the mobile service provider intents to enhance 4G coverage catering for both consumer and enterprise segment.

The deal is also expected to make Airtel Kenya’s network 5G ready for deployment. Several countries have already migrated their networks to 5G which is regarded to be faster than 4G and offers a myriad of advantages over the past platforms.

Speaking on the deal, CEO of Airtel Kenya Prasanta Das Sarma said that secure and reliable communications were essential element in a digital Kenya. He further acknowledged the company was determined to to provide reliable connections across the country as well as expanding its broadband services to customers.

Ericsson on its part through Middle East and Africa President Fadi Pharaon said the two firms are committed to avail an advanced LTE network in the country which in turn will give Airtel customers an enriched experience accommodating both consumer and business segments.

7 tips on how to keep your car battery new forever

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
7 tips on how to keep your car battery new forever

A healthy and perfect running car is every motorist’s dream. A good car battery will ensure you have a smooth start and ride for the longest time. In most cases,  battery health and maintenance gets overlooked even when it has a vital role to play in the better functioning of your car. 

For the best car performance, the battery should be in the right condition. Proper maintenance and checkups will help retain its strength and prolong its life. To ensure you avoid the situation with the battery dying during rides, you may need to take extra care of your battery.

Try these and see your battery retaining its newness forever:

  1. Always keep your battery clean.

A clean battery will always ensure you have a smooth ride with the full charge. It is simple to clean your car battery when the engine is off. What you need to do is remove the clamps and clean away the oxidation, grease, and dirt.

  • Make sure your battery is secure.

Ensure your battery is correctly fastened in its place and does not move or vibrate. Any movement could destroy your battery’s life as well as the cells within it and the engine.

  • Turn off your vehicle.

If your car is not to be running, you can consider turning it off and its accessories. When checking within the battery, turn off the engine and save your battery.

  • Avoid direct sunlight

Too much heat could damage and affect the life of your car battery according to Politics. It is recommended you park your car in cooler or shaded places to keep your battery cool. As you may not wish to damage your batteries due to water loss or heat distortion, taking great care of it will guarantee its newness for the longest time.

Fortunately, Chloride Exide batteries can tolerate the harshest temperatures; there is still a need for special care.

  • Get the right car battery.

Ensure you know what kind of battery will fit your needs. They may seem the same, but getting the right one will serve you for longer.

  • Coat and protector

Rust and erosion are common for car batteries due to moisture, temperature, and rusted terminals. To prevent them from forming, you may need to get felt protectors for your terminals and keep your battery coated. You can decide on sprays-grease or Vaseline, depending on what works for you for your battery’s health.

7. Charge and Recharge

A car battery will lose its charge if the car stays idle for long. It is advisable to drive your car regularly to keep it in shape. You can as well as use a standard car battery charger or solar chargers to charge your battery after every two months. However, you should avoid overcharging your battery as it will take a toll on the life span.

For any regular car battery, it will take up to 12 hours to fully charge. It will depend on its weight, type, and usage, and so on.

A healthy battery will serve you for the longest time on the care you have given it. Its high time maintenance of car batteries came first.

Check out some of the best batteries and solar panels in Kenya from Chloride Exide.

Best 3 OCR Tools for Text Recognition

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
Best 3 OCR Tools for Text Recognition

Converting images to text manually is one of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks. Though it is a digital world and businesses have become document free. Still, many people prefer paper documents. But when they need to convert it into a machine editable file, they need an OCR tool. This tool helps you to convert your images, PDF files, and even handwritten documents into computer editable text. They convert your files and save your hours of monotonous work.

Many online and offline OCR tools in the market can confuse anyone because of their similarities. All of them claim to be the best, but it is not reality. A wrong choice can spoil your time and efforts. You may be thinking which OCR tool should we select. Don’t worry! we will help you to select the right tool. In this article, we will discuss the Best 3 OCR Tools for Text Recognition.  Two of them are desktop and one is online. So let’s discuss them in detail:

Rossum

Rossum stands on the top among the desktop applications because it provides you 98% accurate results. If you want to convert eBooks, images, receipts, and invoices, try Rossum. It has special OCR features that support graphics, tables, and charts. This is usually used by many enterprises that deal with a large number of invoices daily coming from the suppliers and contractors. 

Many OCR service providers use Template formats but Rossum use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to scan a file to get the key information. It extracts the data simply and quickly for bulk documents. That is the reason, many larger businesses use this tool. The paid version allows you unlimited access to all features. You should follow these steps to convert your file:

Step 1: Download Rossum from its official website and install it on your computer.

Step 2: Launch the app and choose the document you want to convert.

Step 3: Select the output format now and click on the “Start” button.

Step 4: It will take a few seconds to identify the text. After the conversion, download your file.

Abbyy FineReader

Abbyy FineReader stands on the second number. As Rossum is the best choice for large businesses, Abbyy FineReader is more suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. It supports multiple formats and provides you an option to download your file in different formats. It is a lightweight tool so you can use it for personal use as well.

It converts the files accurately, and proved you fully readable and neatly organized documents. The best part about this tool is that it gives you an option to add comments and feedback on the file. Moreover, it supports more than 192 languages without any error. Its mobile app allows you to convert files when you are out of the office. Buy its paid version and get unlimited access to all features. You must follow these steps:

Step 1: Download Abbyy FineReader from its official website and install it.

Step 2: After that, open the desktop app and select the file you want to convert.

Step 3: Select the output format and start the conversion process.

Step 4: Now, download your converted file.

onlineconvertfree.com

onlineconvertfree.com is the best online OCR option we have found because it supports more than 200 formats. If you want to convert a video, audio, image, eBook, or any PDF file, give it a try. You will not be disappointed. It has the most powerful OCR tool that gives you accurate results in a few seconds. Either you are a student and want to convert the pages of books or a business owner, onlineconvert.com is a suitable option for all.

The best part about onlineconvertfree.com is that it allows you to convert large files, up to 500 MBs. All basic conversion features are free, but to get unlimited access, you have to buy its paid plans. You get a 25% discount on all packages on annual subscriptions.

You should follow these steps to convert your file:

Step 1: Go to the official website by clicking this link: https://onlineconvertfree.com/ocr/

Step 2: You can upload your file by two methods. i)- by using drag and drop features ii)- By clicking on the “Choose File” button.

Step 3: Select your file and click on the “Convert All to” button to choose the output format. If you want to convert multiple files, click on the “Add More Files”

Step 4: Now Click on the convert button and wait few seconds.

Step 5: Scroll down and download your file.

Bottom Line

We have discussed one online OCR tool and two Offline to convert image to text. All tools have their own qualities. So select the one that fulfills your requirements.

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