The Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Commission, FCCPC, has directed all payment systems operators, PSOs, such as Flutterwave, Opay, Paystack and Monify, as well as telecommunication companies, including Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, in Nigeria to stop providing financial support to lenders under investigation.
Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, who disclosed this yesterday, in Lagos, when the Commission conducted enforcement actions against a loan shark known as Soko Lending Limited, added that FCCPC has secured orders to disable or diminish violators’ ability to circumvent regulatory efforts to protect citizens.
Irukera said “Particularly, the Commission has ordered all operating payment systems including Flutterwave, Opay, Paystack and Monify to immediately cease and desist providing payment or transaction services to lenders under investigation or not otherwise operating with applicable regulatory approvals.
“FCCPC has also ordered telecommunication/ technology companies (including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)) to cease and desist providing server/hosting, or other key services such as connectivity to disclosed or known lenders who are targets/subjects of investigation or otherwise operating without regulatory approval.
He also announced that a Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending has been developed and adopted by the inter-agency Joint Regulatory and Enforcement Task Force as interim step to establishing a clear regulatory framework for the sector.
