Salary Payment Effective After FIFFA Crises

Following a press conference by the Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey Monday, assuring clients of the First Investment for Financial Assistance, FIFFA, on measures taken to start paying clients yesterday September 4th, a delegation from the Ministry with some workers of the microfinance brought money at about 11:30 am to start paying only salaries. The officials made it clear at the Melen branch that only clients operating a salary account will be paid while those operating saving accounts and St. Sylvester accounts will be paid after 15 days.

The fuming crowds in the premises of FIFFA Melen were very disgruntled with the message saying "not without our savings." It is clear that a reasonable size of the microfinance's clients operate just saving accounts and they equally need money to carter for the school needs of their families. According to a client of the bank, Mvogo neé Eyenga Essindi Seraphice, since the death of her husband some 11 years back, she has been working as a house-help to carter for her six children only for FIFFA to disappoint her during the back-to-school period. "Where will I borrow money to send my children to school? The long hours I have spent in FIFFA Messa can cost my job. I think after receiving my FCFA 250,000, I will learn how to keep money by myself," the poor widow lamented.

Like the widow, many civil servants and private workers have made their intentions known about closing their accounts in the microfinance. Before 12 noon yesterday in FIFFA Melen, about 150 names were written in a list circulating in the premises established by workers who want to leave the bank. According to the leader of the list, Edzah Challa, the microfinance does not want to issue them a non-indebted attestation to proof that they do not owe the bank. "The attestation will enable us create accounts in different financial institutions," he said. "It is for this reason that we have written a request to be submitted to the Minister of Finance to facilitate the issuing of the non-indebted attestation," he added.