The central bank is coming up with regulations that will require utility companies, landlords, and providers of trade credit including manufactures to report to the credit reference bureau on their customer’s transactions.
Speaking at the financial inclusion symposium in Kampala today the director supervision bank of Uganda Dr Tumubweine Twinemanzi said that the information will be used to create a credit profile for borrowers to enable the trust worthy customers get cash or trade credit without
having collateral.
"Let me give an example when you go to buy a car , the car dealer will ask for your national identification number and every time you make your promised payment on time ,the car dealer will report to the credit bureau and when you’re late they will report the lateness.
He noted that by understanding people’s transaction behaviour, one may not need actual physical collateral to be able to borrow.
Tumubweine adds that once the regulations have been approved by the ministry of finance, they will now organize trainings of various stake holders in the industry including traders, manufacturers, utility companies on how they can provide information to the credit reference bureau who will then create credit profile for their customers and in turn use the information to make credit decision.
The managing director Compuscan group company, one of the credit bureau for consumer data, Mark Mukasa noted that the benefits of the regulations are both positive and negative since it will create positive truck record for the people who access credit in the country but at the same time also have a punishment for defaulters who will not be able to access credit from other lenders if they don’t pay up their credit from formal lenders.
"Property has been at the centre of the requirement for one to access credit for formal lenders, yet very few people own property in Uganda." Mukasa said
He said that by getting credit information over a period of time, lenders will start growing reputation collateral of individuals, that will be used for one to access credit.
According to the central bank credit reference bureaus supports robust growth of the financial sector through providing timely and accurate information on borrowers debt profile and repayment history.