Total mobile money user numbers for Zimbabwe’s Telecel have hit 600,000 following the launch of the service in January.

Angeline Vere, the general manager for Telecel Zimbabwe, told a Zimbabwean parliamentary committee this week that registered users for the Telecash mobile money system have risen over half a million.

Telecel’s rival mobile money system, Econet’s EcoCash, has over three million registered users.

Vere said the value of transactions processed through Telecash has also reached $15 million.

However, she complained that the five cents transaction levy imposed by government on mobile money transactions is excessive.

"We appeal to government to remove five cents charged on Telecash and only charge value added tax so that it is affordable to all agents,” Vere said.

The five cents mobile money transaction levy is also deducted from the other mobile money services in Zimbabwe.

Point of Sale (POS) transactions are also levied the five cents transaction fee.

Latest statistics released by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) show that the value of mobile transactions in Zimbabwe increased by 5.07% from $343,26 million in March to $360,67 million in April this year.