The government is considering increasing mobile money transaction limits following complaints from consumers and businesses that existing restrictions are hindering high-value payments.
Deputy Finance Minister Mshamu Munde told Parliament on Thursday, October 29, 2026, that the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) was assessing the possibility of raising the limits while ensuring that customers remain protected from fraud, money laundering and other financial risks.
The issue was raised by Kigoma Urban MP Revocatus Chipando, who said restrictions on sending and receiving money through mobile wallets were inconveniencing consumers and traders, potentially undermining efforts to promote cashless transactions. ‘People are raising many complaints in our communities about transaction limits, particularly on mobile money services. When someone wants to make a payment of up to Sh5 million, they are told that their daily limit has been reached,’ he told the National Assembly.
Mr Chipando also cited cases in which customers who had received Sh10 million could not accept additional funds because they had reached their permitted limits.
He questioned why customers seeking higher limits had to open additional mobile lines, including Lipa Namba accounts, even when they were not running formal businesses.
‘Why should ordinary citizens be forced to have two or more mobile lines? Someone who is not a trader may need to make a large payment. Why should they be required to open a Lipa Namba account?’ he asked.
The MP urged the government to consider allowing customers to make payments of between Sh20 million and Sh50 million and receive up to Sh100 million through their mobile phones.
Responding, Mr Munde acknowledged that higher transaction limits could facilitate business, reduce reliance on cash and make payments more convenient. However, he said any changes had to take account of the security risks associated with mobile money services.
He explained that mobile phone-based transactions operated under different security and risk-management arrangements from internet banking, meaning the two services could not automatically have similar limits.
‘Although you may be able to make larger payments through internet banking, the procedures for managing risks, identifying customers and ensuring transaction security are different from those used in mobile phone networks,’ he said.
Mr Munde said the Electronic Money Regulations of 2015 empowered the central bank to set and review transaction limits according to customer categories and the risks associated with different services.
He warned that raising the limits without adequate safeguards could expose customers and businesses to fraud, money laundering and financial losses.
‘If you allow someone to make payments of up to Sh100 million through mobile networks without adequate controls, it could create risks and potentially cause losses to businesses and other customers,’ he said.
The deputy minister said the government, through the central bank, was continuing to improve payment systems and assess whether the limits should be raised to reflect changing business needs and technological developments.
He said the review would seek to balance the convenience of higher-value transactions with the need to protect customers’ money.
The debate comes as Tanzania continues to expand digital financial services and encourage the use of electronic payments as an alternative to cash.