Members of the public are voicing concerns over the Myanmar junta’s statement of ceasing mobile payment operations for accounts with incomplete personal information.

The junta-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM), in mid-September, announced permanent deletion of mobile payment accounts, such as KPay accounts and WavePay, that are not upgraded with full correct personal information. The announcement said that the move was intended to protect the general public from fraudsters, financial scams and improper use. 

These losses would only be solved when taking action with adequate personal information, announced the CBM. 

Mobile payment users are required to upgrade their personal information to Level-2 of the app at the nearest representatives and banks within a period of time. As for Kpay, a level-1 customer can transfer up to Myanmar currency 400,000 Kyat (about US$135) per day and a level-2 customer can transfer up to 2,000,000 Kyat (about US$670) per day. 

Personal information such as account owner’s name, National Identification Card number and SIM card number will be checked against the information of that person from the Department of Immigration and Population.

Regarding the announcement, a resident in Yangon said that it is an unnecessary move just to upset the public.

“I do not usually transfer money with mobile pay apps. I am a Level-1 user as I only transfer money to my home. I did not upgrade my account because level-1 is comfortable for me. We cannot upgrade our accounts to level-2 by ourselves. As they announced the permanent deletion [for accounts without full correct personal information), I have to upgrade my account now. This is just torturing the citizens.”

The junta-controlled CBM’s statement did not mention an exact deadline for the upgrade. 

When Mizzima recently contacted an employee at KPay, one of the most popular mobile payment services in Myanmar, she said: “The announcement has not arrived to us yet. We will announce it via Facebook when we receive an official statement. Currently, you can still use your Level-1 accounts.”

The CBM has warned that accounts with a lower level than 2 will be closed. Therefore, those unwilling to upgrade should contact mobile payment services to find ways to use their remaining balance. The junta’s announcement raises concern among those whose businesses are operated with a mobile payment system. It especially causes more worries for the elderly who are not familiar with digital payment apps. An elderly person who is using KBZ pay said: “I do not understand what they said about Level-1 or Level-2. I am going to transfer my money from KPay to the bank account for safety. I am afraid that my account will be terminated by alleging that I support the [anti-junta] revolution.”

In the past few days, the CBM strictly instructed the representative payment service shops to install CCTV cameras and take a photos with a secret camera of those who transfer money via the mobile payment system. Recently, Wave Money, a mobile payment service in Myanmar, announced that it is mandatory to bring an ID card while transferring money at the payment service shops.

Observers question whether the changes are designed to interrupt donations to resistance groups.