Cotonou, August 12, 2025 – The Interbank Monetization Group of the WAEMU (GIM-WAEMU) and the National Treasury of Benin (TPN) have officially launched the regional prepaid card “RoW”, the first of its kind issued by a Treasury in the WAEMU space. Accessible to all, without the need to open a bank account, this modern, secure, and interoperable card works in the eight member states of the Union.
The RoW card allows to withdraw money from all ATMs connected to the GIM-WAEMU network, to pay on POS terminals, to make online purchases, to initiate transfers via mobile, and to track its operations in real time thanks to the GIM Baraka application. Intended for civil servants, scholarship students, retirees, institutions, and the general public, it positions itself as a true electronic wallet serving financial inclusion.
For the Director General of the Treasury and Public Accounting, Oumara Karimou Assouman, this solution represents “a safe and reliable means to carry out transactions between the administration and beneficiaries of certain public transfers.” Ms. Massim-Ouali Affo Alice, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Economy and Finance, sees it as “a lever for financial inclusion, creating a direct link between the citizen and the administration, including those without a traditional bank account.”
Serges Adingni, Deputy Director General of GIM-WAEMU, praised “the network’s ability to support member states in modernizing their financial services with interoperable and sovereign solutions.”
The launch ceremony, held at the General Directorate of the Treasury and Public Accounting in Cadjèhoun, brought together institutional representatives, financial sector actors, and technical partners. This project, which combines technological innovation and public service, marks a key step towards the construction of an integrated and secure regional monetary ecosystem.
