Millicom International Cellular head of corporate finance Pierre-Yves Bredel poses in a photo with the trophy which the Group won in G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation after it was presented to the company at Los Cabos, Mexico recently. The Group operates in Tanzania and many other African and Latin American countries under the brand name of Tigo. (Photo courtesy of Tigo)

Tigo (Tanzania) general manager Diego Gutierrez has announced that Millicom International Cellular S.A (MIC), the Group Company, has been recognised as one of the 15 winners in the G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation.

In his statement released yesterday, he said the challenge was launched as a one off competition by the Mexican President during the Cannes G20 Summit on November 3-4, 2011.

He added that Millicom has been recognized for making mobile telephones affordable to the lowest earners in developing countries by making Tigo branded voice and data services accessible and easily available in its 13 emerging markets in Africa and Latin America.

However, Gutierrez said the recent introduction of Tigo mobile financial services currently available in countries where Millicom operates has also been identified as an enabler of financial inclusion for the unbanked population.

According to Tigo him, in Tanzania alone over 10 million people own mobile phones. “Tigo is well positioned to maintain its regional leadership position in the industry, with its big portfolio of products and services that is supported by a strong brand and a good customer satisfaction experience,” he said.

“We are delighted to have won this prestigious award which recognizes us for our innovation and our financial, environmental and social sustainability; and we are committed to providing the technological capabilities that will enable us to provide a superior quality of experience to our customers while contributing to the wellbeing and development of the country,” he said.

The Challenge winners were announced and presented with awards at the G20 Leaders Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 18, 2012 after a judging panel of 12 renowned international experts from the private sector, academia, international organizations and the G20 chose the 15 winners.

Meanwhile, the mobile network provider has created a ‘Tigo Jamaa’ team to help customers configure their phones for quick and easy internet access.

This was said at the weekend by Alice Maro the firm’s pubic relation officer at a news conference. She added that the ‘Tigo Jamaa’ team will be visiting different parts of the country to help configure Internet services on customers’ Internet –enabled phones.

“We want to make it easier for people to access the things that matter to them wherever they may be, also we welcome as many people as possible to take advantage of this free extra value added service,” she said.

However, Maro said in order to make the internet services more easily accessible to customers, Tigo will station the team in Dar, Dodoma, Morogoro, Mwanza, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Tanga regions effective from this weekend.

The weekly schedule to locations that the team will be visiting will be published in newspapers and on the Tigo Tanzania Facebook page.

“Customers will be able to easily spot the team and should not hesitate to ask for their help. It’s a free service,” she noted.