M-Paisa - Mobile Banking in Afghanistan

Afghanistan, despite its backwardness and economic difficulties, is in the forefront of a new mobile-money and banking era. Money is being exchanged with customers and merchants via cellphones utilizing a service called "M-Paisa". This service also is used to pay policemen throughout Afghanistan - eliminating much of the corruption that took away almost 30% of a policeman's pay. Eventually Afghans will be able to pay their electric bills over their cell phone. One of the few bright spots in Afghanistan is the development of a robust telecommunications network that provides for a higher standard of living not only in communications but in banking and other economic services. Read more on M-Paisa in "How Afghanistan is on the Leading Edge of a Tech Revolution", Time, March 2, 2013.