Moniepoint, Opay, Palmpay, Others Set to Block PoS Operators’ Accounts as CAC Deadline Nears
- Nigerian banks and fintech companies are set to block the accounts of PoS operators who fail to register their businesses
- The CAC earlier directed that PoS operators must register and submit their details, although it has been met with pushback
- The banks are now warning that failure to comply with the CAC registration requirement will result in account freezing
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Nigerian banks and fintech companies are set to block accounts of Point of Sale (PoS) operators yet to register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) before July 7, 2024.
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CAC's POS registration directive
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria, in a memo issued on April 30, 2024, directed all non-individuals on the agent banking authorisation to immediately take steps to register their businesses with the CAC in line with Section 863 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.
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The directive made it mandatory for PoS terminals, whether agents, merchants, or individuals, to register with CAC before the commencement of business.
Following up on the CBN announcement, CAC released a statement titled ‘‘Enforcement of Compliance with CBN Directive on Registration Before Onboarding" demanding that banks ensure registration on or before July 7, 2024.
Part of the statement reads:
“The Registrar-General therefore enjoined the banks to ensure maximum compliance with the requirements of the law to ensure economic growth."
Palmpay sends message to customers
With a few days left to the deadline, Palmpay, one of the fintech companies, has instructed POS operators in its network to comply with the directives.
According to Umuteme Enakeno, head of marketing and communication at PalmPay, failure to comply will result in accounts being frozen after the deadline.
He said:
“PalmPay fully supports the CAC’s directive. To provide a seamless experience for our customers, we have integrated the registration portal with our Business App.
"Ensure that all necessary documents and information are provided accurately before submitting their applications.
"Customers must update their PalmPay Accounts with business details whenever they get the certificate to reflect their new corporate status.
"We urge all PalmPay Business customers to submit or register their CAC before the deadline. Failure to do so means that the account would be frozen."
AMMBAN react to CAC registration directive
Speaking to Legit.ng on the directive Fasasi Sarafadeen Atanda, the national president of Association of Mobile Money & Bank Agents Bank in Nigeria (AMMBAN) said that matter is in court and will be decided on Monday, July 1, 2024.
"The Memo by the CBN clearly stated that the registration CAC is talking about is for non- individuals."
He noted that its is clearly stated that Company Allied Matters act a person or association cannot carry out a business in Nigerian as a company nor running as individual trader.
POS operators not happy with CAC
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that PoS operators have disclosed plans to take legal action against the Corporate Affairs Commission in court over its registration directives.
The operators say the CAC has no powers to mandate them to register their businesses as they can operate as individual agents.
Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
