On Saturday, August 12, 2025, the UEMOA Interbank Electronic Banking Group (GIM-UEMOA) and the Benin National Public Treasury (TPN) announced in Cotonou the official launch of the regional prepaid card “RoW” in Cotonou. It is the first card of this type issued by a Public Treasury in the UEMOA area

The launch of the RoW card is part of the national strategy for the digitalization of public services and in the regional dynamic led by GIM-UEMOA to strengthen financial inclusion and modernise payments in the Union. This card is accessible to everyone, civil servants, scholarship students, scholarship holders, retirees, institutions and the general public, without the obligation to have a bank account

The “RoW” card offers a modern, secure and interoperable payment method in the eight UEMOA member states. As soon as it is put into circulation, its holders will be able to make withdrawals from all ATMs connected to the GIM-UEMOA network, to pay on TPE, to make online purchases, to initiate transfers via mobile and to monitor their transactions in real time

According to Oumara Karimou Assouman, Director General of the Treasury and Public Accounting, this card “offers a secure and reliable way to carry out transactions between the administration and the beneficiaries of certain public transfers”.

For his part, Serges ADINGNI, Deputy Director General of GIM-UEMOA, said that “this launch illustrates the ability of the GIM-UEMOA network to support Member States in the modernization of their financial services, by offering interoperable and sovereign solutions that contribute to the fluidity of payments in the community area”.