The World Bank has called on Zambia's telecom sector regulator, mobile service providers and policy makers to work together in establishing viable e-money ecosystem in the country.

The Bank said the country will be assured of speedy growth in e-payment if the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA), the Zambian government and mobile service providers jointly ensured that a viable e-money eco-system was developed.

MTN, Airtel and Zamtel are the three mobile phone services providers currently operating in Zambia.

The Bank wants the Zambian government to start channeling its payments through the mobile money system particularly in rural areas in order to growth mobile payment system in the country.

World Bank country representative for Zambia Kundhavi Kadiresan said the Zambian government is the largest employer and paying through mobile money system could provide volumes and scale, especially in rural areas.

She said Zambia's fourth economic brief with the focus on financial inclusion indicates that the take up of mobile e-payment has been limited in Zambia compared to other countries in the region.

The brief focuses on mobile e-payments and agency banking as models for expansion.

"Zambia's fourth economic brief with focus on financial inclusion indicates that the take up of mobile e-payments is limited and ranks below its economic and geographic peers on most indicators of financial inclusion," she said.