Sierra Leone: Orange-SL Introduces Quick Loan

In a bid to strengthen the financial sector in the country, Orange-SL in collaboration with Empire Solution, a microfinance institution,  has on Thursday, September 24, 2020, introduced ‘Orange Money Lajor’, a  quick loan facility that will enable Orange customers  lend money in a faster manner.

Speaking during the launching, the Chief Executive Officer of Orange Money, David Mansaray, said that Orange Money Lajor is a small loan service that that will allow active Orange Money customers access loan using their mobile phones via their Orange Money accounts.

He explained that Orange Money customers that have been actively using Orange Money for 90 days are the ones eligible to access the loan.

He added that to get the loan, customers must first register for the service and accept the terms and conditions. After successful registration, customer will be qualified to get a loan. “To register customers will dial #144# and selected 7 or directly dial #144*7#, and for any transaction made customers would have to pay a 12% interest fee on any loan amount applied for,” he said.

Alfred Kamara, assist  marketing manager of Orange Money,  explained that customers has the option to pay the loan at any time within 30 days.  “If a customer does not pay within 30 days, his or her Orange Money account will be blocked and will only be allowed to do cash in. The account will only be opened after the customer pays the loan,” he said. He added that,  as a company they could impose a further 5 percent interest rate as penalty on a customer if repayment is done between 31 – 60 days, and a 10 percent additional interest charge if the repayment is done after 60 days.

A representative of the Empire Solution, Jeneba Dorces Salley thanked Orange for the collaboration between the two institutions.

By Desmond Tunde Coker

25/09/2020. ISSUE NO:1917