Governor's Decision No. 013/GR/2022 Homologating and Authorizing Cameroon Postal Services to Operate a National Payment Aggregation Platform (NPSI)

BANQUE DES ÉTATS DE L'AFRIQUE CENTRALE GOVERNOR'S DECISION NO. 013/GR/2022 Approving and Authorizing the Operation of a National Payment Aggregation Platform (NPSI) by CAMEROON POSTAL SERVICES (CAMPOST)

The Governor of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), Having regard to the Statutes of the Bank of Central African States; Having regard to Regulation No. 03/16/CEMAC/UMAC/CEMAC/UMAC of December 21, 2016 on payment systems, instruments and incidents; Having regard to Regulation No. 04/18/CEMAC/UMAC/COBAC of December 21, 2018 on payment services in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa; Having regard to Governor's Instruction No. 001/GR/2018 of August 10, 2018 on the definition of the scope of interoperability and interbanking of card payment systems in CEMAC; Having regard to Decision No. 0248/MPT/CAB/IGT/CT2 of November 26, 2019 determining the conditions and operating rules for USSD resources for access to the national electronic communications aggregation platform; Having regard to Governor's Decision No. 125/GR/2020 of December 3, 2020, rejecting an authorization request for a settlement and clearing system submitted by CAMEROON POSTAL SERVICES (CAMPOST) in its correspondence referenced No. 000010/CAMPOST/DG/NPSI of January 5, 2020; Having regard to correspondence referenced No. 001061/CAMPOST/DG/DGA/e-Post/PDI/ of March 30, 2020, by which CAMEROON POSTAL SERVICES (CAMPOST) submits to the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) a request for authorization to establish and manage in Cameroon a retail payment settlement and clearing system named National Payment Infrastructure System (NPIS);

Considering that the application file for approval and operating authorization of a national electronic communications aggregation platform via the unique national USSD channel #237# and interconnection with the payment system platform of the Central African Interbank Monetary Group (GIMAC) covers the initiation and processing of interoperable financial transactions, particularly e-money and mobile banking, to be routed to GIMACPAY for routing, clearing, and settlement in SYGMA, the Central Bank's Real-Time Gross Settlement system; Considering that the application file for approval and operating authorization of a national electronic communications aggregation platform (NPSI) and interconnection with the payment system platform of the Central African Interbank Monetary Group (GIMAC), submitted by CAMPOST includes all documents and information elements required by the BEAC; Considering that, technically, the envisaged national electronic communications aggregation platform via the unique national USSD channel #237# will enable CAMPOST to provide hosting or aggregation services for electronic transactions of any payment service provider; Considering that the envisaged national electronic communications aggregation platform via the unique national USSD channel #237# meets in all its components all operational, functional, and security compliance requirements currently demanded by the BEAC for the approval and authorization of an interbanking and interoperable payment services solution; Considering that the market infrastructure constituted by the national electronic communications aggregation platform via the unique national USSD channel #237# cannot have as its object or effect to hinder or restrict the freedom of choice of economic actors and competition in the sector providing technical services for initiating, aggregating, and hosting financial transactions electronically;

DECIDES Article 1: The National Payment Aggregation Platform (NPSI) of CAMPOST is approved as a national payment aggregation platform via USSD code #237# and as a hosting platform for payment service providers or any legal entity authorized to issue or manage payment instruments. Article 2: This approval decision constitutes authorization to process interoperable or non-interoperable transactions of any approved or authorized institution issuing or managing payment instruments. It does not constitute authorization to establish, manage a payment system and/or manage a clearing house in accordance with Governor's Decision No. 125/GR/2020 of December 3, 2020, which rejected CAMPOST's request to establish and manage the National Payment Infrastructure System (NPIS) payment system with an interbank clearing house. Article 3: The National Payment Aggregation Platform is approved and authorized to operate under the following conditions:

• Ensure and guarantee all economic agents free and non-mandatory access or membership to the national electronic communications aggregation platform via USSD code #237#;
• The USSD code #237# shall not be the exclusive or mandatory code for financial electronic communications transactions;
• Ensure and guarantee the processing of interbank transactions of all electronic payment instruments (cards, e-wallets, fund transfers) regardless of the channel used to initiate a payment operation;
• Adhere to an interbank payment system installed in CEMAC and having the BEAC as Settlement Bank, such as GIMACPAY in particular, to ensure and guarantee the interoperability of its clients' interbank transactions. Article 4: Violation of the provisions of Articles 2 and 3 above exposes [the platform] to legal and regulatory sanctions provided by current legislation, including the withdrawal of this approval. Article 5: The General Director of Operations of the BEAC is responsible for notifying this decision to CAMPOST, with copies to the Secretary General of the Central African Banking Commission, the Monetary Authority of the Republic of Cameroon, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the Republic of Cameroon, and the National Directorate of the Bank of Central African States for Cameroon.

Done in Yaoundé, on February 15, 2022 No.: 013/GR/2022