Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) has stepped up efforts to establish a regional instant payment system, with experts from Tanzania and Rwanda meeting in Zanzibar to advance the implementation of a pilot cross-border digital payments platform linking the two countries.
The technical meeting, running from July 7 to 11, builds on progress made during the inaugural implementation meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda, in November 2025, where the two EAC Partner States initiated the technical integration of the Tanzania Instant Payment System (TIPS) and Rwanda's National Payment Switch (RSwitch).
According to an EAC statement issued on Friday, July 10, 2026, the meeting is focused on strengthening the governance, commercial and risk management frameworks required to ensure the successful implementation, operational resilience and long-term sustainability of the cross-border payment system.
Chairing the meeting, the Deputy Manager for the National Payments Directorate at the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Mr Nestory Maro, said the discussions were building on the achievements recorded in Kigali, with the aim of finalising the minimum operational, technical, functional and legal requirements needed to connect the two national payment systems.
"Implementing this pilot to connect the payment systems of the two countries represents a practical and strategic approach. The pilot will enable us to comprehensively assess the similarities, differences, opportunities and challenges associated with integrating our two payment platforms," Mr Maro said.
The initiative forms part of the implementation of the EAC Cross-Border Payment System Master Plan, which seeks to establish an integrated regional payments infrastructure capable of facilitating secure, affordable and real-time cross-border transactions across the Community.
During the meeting, technical experts are finalising the institutional and governance arrangements required to operate the platform, including the establishment of joint steering committees and technical working groups, service level agreements, governance structures and change management procedures.
The experts are also reviewing a sustainable commercial and economic model covering transaction pricing, revenue-sharing arrangements, foreign exchange mechanisms and market incentives to encourage adoption by financial institutions, businesses and consumers.
In addition, they are developing a comprehensive cross-border risk and compliance framework to address settlement, liquidity, legal, operational and cyber security risks, while harmonising fraud management, business continuity, dispute resolution and regulatory reporting mechanisms to ensure the secure, reliable and efficient operation of the payment system.
The Proof of Concept (PoC) has been designed to facilitate instant cross-border retail payments within the EAC through the direct interconnection of national fast payment systems.
By eliminating existing barriers, the pilot aims to enable faster, more secure and more affordable cross-border payments while supporting regional trade, remittances and financial inclusion across the EAC.
Once operational, the integrated payment platform will enable individuals and businesses in Tanzania and Rwanda to send and receive money instantly using their existing bank accounts and mobile money wallets
Implementation of the EAC Cross-Border Payment System Master Plan is being supported through the East Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP).
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