Zimbabwe’s number two mobile network Telecel wants to boost mobile money transaction volumes for its Telecash service, which has processed almost $17 million in transfers this month.

Telecel is seeking this boost as its number of network users fell 4.6% for the quarter to 2,459,369, according to a first quarter 2014 performance report from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).

POTRAZ attributed Telecel’s loss of subscribers to unregistered users who have been disconnected.

But Telecel Zimbabwe marketing director, Octivius Kahiya, says the company is focused on increasing the value proposition of the network to its subscribers. The company has this year also launched a gold credit card for its Telecash mobile money system.

“We are moving forward in a formidable way and we are satisfied with the progress we have made so far with the network,” he said.

Nkosinathi Ncube, the mobile financial services manager for Telecel Zimbabwe, said recently that the company is working on upgrading its Telecash platform to cater for diaspora remittances.

Telecash currently enables users to send money to recipients on all networks in Zimbabwe.

“We have been on a drive to register users but we are now focusing on the transaction volumes drive,” added Ncube.

He explained that some Telecash agents are still having problems selling services for multiple mobile money systems, despite clarification by the Zimbabwe’s reserve bank that strictly barred operators from forcing agents to sign exclusive contracts.

Exclusive contracts are only allowed for franchise agents as well as those that have received startup funding from an operator, said Ncube.