The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Visa

  • EU, Colombia lifts short-stay visa requirements

    European Union (EU) and Colombia authorities on Wednesday in Brussels lifted short-stay visa requirements, allowing free movements on visiting one another’s territories.

    The visa waiver agreement was signed on behalf of Colombia by Foreign Minister, Maria-Angela Holguin, Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg Foreign Minister along with European Migration Commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, in the presence of Colombian President Juan Santos.

    Asselborn said this was contained under an agreement signed by both, that citizens no longer required visas.

    He said the visa waiver would provisionally come into force on Thursday.

    “Granting visa-free travel for EU citizens to Colombia and for Colombians visiting the bloc for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

    “This agreement will bring the people of Colombia and the EU closer together,” he said.

    Asselborn said the deal was expected to boost tourism and business ties between the EU and Colombia.

    He noted that ties between both countries had been wracked by decades of conflict between government forces and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerilla group.

    “The two sides are working on a peace accord.

    Santos said the agreement had opened the doors to all Colombians who want to come to Europe legally.

    “They will finally be able to visit relatives living in the EU.

    “For now there is no discussion about Colombians illegally living in the bloc, this is “not an easy issue,’’ he said.

    The president said the decision would be vetted by the European Parliament, a step he described to be a formality.

    Santos said Britain and Ireland are excluded from the deal, meaning that those countries can still set their own visa rules for Colombian citizens, and vice versa.

     

  • Visa agrees to buy Visa Europe for $23.4b

    Visa Inc, the world’s largest payments network, agreed to acquire Visa Europe Limited in a deal valued at as much as 21.2 billion euros, about $23.4 billion to unify the brand globally after eight years as separate companies. Visa shares fell in New York.

    The transaction includes 16.5 billion euros upfront and as much as 4.7 billion euros more after the fourth anniversary of the deal’s completion, the firms said in a statement. The purchase ends years of speculation among analysts about whether the companies, which split in 2007 ahead of the US firm’s initial public offering, would reunite.

    The lack of meaningful contributions to earnings from Europe has long been seen as a weakness for Visa and an advantage for smaller competitor MasterCard Inc., which owns its European business. Foster City, California-based Visa relies more on the U.S., which accounted for 54 percent of revenue in fiscal 2014, compared with 39 percent for MasterCard.

    “This transaction is beneficial for financial institutions, acquirers, merchants, cardholders, and other partners, as well as for our employees and shareholders,” Chief Executive Officer Charlie Scharf, 50, said in the statement.

  • Visa, Total deepen cash-less banking

    Visa, Total deepen cash-less banking

    Global payment company, Visa, has partnered Total Nigeria to reward customers, who use their Visa card to buy fuel at Total service stations within Lagos.

    The promotion aims at educating consumers and businesses on the convenience of making payments for fuel and other commodities at Total service stations using Visa cards and the need to embrace the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)- driven cash-less banking initiative .

    The ongoing campaign will run till December 6, in seven Total service stations giving out N1,000 worth of free petrol daily to 10 Visa card users, who buy petrol worth N3000 and above.

    The stations giving out free fuel are pre-selected and they change daily to ensure all stations get fair rounds. Cardholders also stand a chance of winning free fuel for a year through a raffle draw by sending an SMS to a short-code, which will be provided at the service stations.

    Speaking about the partnership, country manager, VISA West Africa, Ade Ashaye said: “At Visa, we are committed to developing creative ways of driving the cash-less policy in Nigeria through e-commerce and we understand that card payments are more secured than cash payments for both buyers and sellers. This is why we have partneredTotal to launch the ‘Total fuel campaign with Visa’, to ensure that personal finances are managed effectively with minimal costs by our cardholders.”

    Speaking at the event, the Network Development Manager TOTAL Nigeria Plc, Maxence Bourgoing said: “We are happy to work with VISA on this project. Total has invested a lot in ensuring that our service stations are up to international standards and this partnership is certainly a step in the right direction”.

    Bourgoing added:“Globally there is a drive towards e-commerce and card payments and we are happy to be at the forefront of this initiative in Nigeria. TOTAL service stations are a key interaction point with our customers and so we promise to continuously offer innovative payment solutions that make purchases as seamless as possible.

    “It is expected that the partnership will help drive the cashless policy agenda by decreasing cash handling and its negative implications whilst eliminating cash reconciliation discrepancies. With Nigerians warming up to the use of card for purchase, Visa has made a lot of investment in providing high security for its cards to ensure payments, which are not only secure, but convenient.”

  • Visa expands with new merchants, issuers

    VISA Incorporated has announced the continued global success of Visa Checkout, its online check out service that allows shoppers to pay with their cards online and on any device, with just a few clicks.
    Visa recently announced that no less than 33 new merchants in the United States (US), Australia, Canada and Colombia have signed on to offer Visa Checkout; ranging from Best Buy, Student Universe, The Roses Only Group and Ticketek, Grand & Toy, Exito.com, Falabella.com, Under Armour to Barnes & Noble and Taco Bell.
    The rapidly expanding list of merchants will continue to make it easier for consumers to buy everything they need online on any device, using Visa Checkout.
    Speaking about the global announcement, Ade Ashaye, Country Manager for Visa in Nigeria said: “Visa Checkout is the platform that has been developed to help provide ease of access during the online purchasing process.
    “In addition to the range of new global merchants, more issuers around the world are also offering Visa Checkout to their customers to enable fast, secure online shopping from anywhere. This is especially true in China and United Arab Emirates, where consumer demands for overseas goods continue to grow, and issuer partners now included.
    “It’s great to see banks like CMB and SPDB bringing best-in-class enrollment experiences to their customers in China, who are eager to shop overseas,” said Senior Vice President of Visa’s Digital Solutions, Sam Shrauger, who recently outlined Visa’s Checkout strategy.
    He added: “As more merchants and issuers integrate Visa Checkout, the number of consumers seeing the benefit of a faster online checkout experience also grows. We’re starting to see the network effect kick-in.”

  • Chams Mobile, Skye Bank launch Visa virtual card

    Chams Mobile, Skye Bank launch Visa virtual card

    Chams Mobile Limited, a licensed Mobile Money Operator, and Skye Bank Plc, have launched the first Virtual Visa Card in Nigeria. The virtual Visa card is an entirely digital payment card for online and mobile use, both locally and internationally. The card is unique in that cardholders get a full card image (the Virtual card) on their mobile device, PC, or tablet, with a plastic card offered as an option if customers prefer.

    The new payment system is expected to expand financial inclusion to millions of Nigerians by offering a low cost mobile banking solution, as the card is issued free and linked to a broad range of financial services. It also offers an online payment alternative for eCommerce savvy individuals, small businesses and corporate companies, membership associations, and more.

    The new Visa Virtual card is available under the Kegow brand at www.kegow.com.  Kegow is the program and card brand of Chams Mobile Ltd. Deputy Managing Director Chams Mobile, Mr. Gavin Young, said that he was excited to partner with Skye Bank and Visa on this unique and ‘First in Nigeria’ Visa Virtual Card payment solution, which was developed with the company’s international joint venture partners Bancore AS (as the mobile financial services processor) and Global Technology Partners (as the Visa prepaid card processor).

    “It’s unique in that customers actually see an image of their card on their mobile phones, tablets and PCs, whereby all the essential features of a physical card are shown in it’s ‘Virtual form’; card number, expiry date and CVV number, for example. This, for many customers, negates the need for a physical plastic card, although we offer plastic cards as an option for customers requiring such.”

  • Presidency: don’t drag Buhari into ISIS chief’s visa crisis

    Presidency: don’t drag Buhari into ISIS chief’s visa crisis

    The Presidency yesterday cautioned against dragging the name of President Muhammadu Buhari into the controversy over how a leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Ahmed   Al-Assir, got a Nigerian visa.

    A presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, said yesterday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has demanded a report from the Nigerian mission in Lebanon, should be allowed to carry out the assignment.

    Shehu said it was mischievous to drag the person of President Muhammadu Buhari into how the ISIS chief secured the visa.

    Al-Assir, said to be the Chief Imam of ISIS was arrested on August 15 at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport in Lebanon on his way to Nigeria through Egypt.

    In spite of being on the watch-list of Lebanon’s security services since 2013, Al-Assir was detected while holding a fake Palestinian passport with the Nigerian visa.

    The Lebanese government accused him of involvement in the death of 17 Lebanese soldiers.

    He was also sentenced to death in absentia by a Lebanese court.

    But how he beat the visa process at the Nigerian Embassy in Lebanon is creating ripples in security circles.

    The Federal Government is said to be disturbed that Al-Assir succeeded in deceiving the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and Embassy officials.

    Although the suspect reportedly changed his identity and looks and presented superficial documents for visa, the government decided to probe the incident to ascertain that there was no internal collaboration at its mission.

    Some security agencies, including the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), will also be involved in the investigation to get to the root of the diplomatic challenge and how to avert a re-occurrence.

    A source said: “As I talk to you, those at the nation’s embassy in Lebanon have been queried on how things went wrong.

    “The embassy has been mandated to submit a comprehensive report to the Federal Government within 72 hours.

    “The report is expected to cover how Al-Assir applied for visa, the documents submitted, what he claimed as his mission to Nigeria, the procedure adopted in verifying his claims; whether or not there was any collaboration with security agencies in Nigeria; and the timeline for the issuance of the visa.

    “The government is also interested if the ISIS chief was questioned on where he would stay in Nigeria, his host and the duration of his trip.”

    Another source added: “Besides the report, the security agencies will also look into the list of those granted visa in the last few months to ascertain whether ISIS members had covertly applied.

    “We are worried because Boko Haram has pledged loyalty to ISIS. And the botched trip of Al-Assir is reawakening because it has confirmed Boko Haram’s claim.”

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for a full report on the case and it is investigating it.

    “But it is mischievous for anyone to attempt to drag the person of President Muhammadu Buhari into the incident. The Buhari administration had nothing to do with the suspect or the supposed visit of the ISIS chief.

    “Without prejudice to the ongoing investigation, it should be noted that Nigerian missions are to serve, they can adjudge an applicant for visa on the basis of documents presented to the Embassy. What is hidden in their heart, you will not know

    “And for this applicant, we have read report of how he concealed his identity and wore a new look to get the visa.

    “Since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking into the matter, let us await the outcome of the investigation.”

  • Visa begins campaign to enhance cardholders’ experience

    Visa begins campaign to enhance cardholders’ experience

    Visa, a global payments technology company, has launched NotATourist, an innovative, regional campaign aimed at driving international tourism during holidays and rewarding holidaying card users.

    The campaign will run in the Middle East and African markets including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Senegal until 31 August.

    It provides cardholders with real and rich destination-related information to help plan their travel as well as access Visa’s global merchant offers and exclusive promotions.

    It is designed to inspire travel beyond the regular tourist sites to savour truly local experiences that are the essence of making a destination unique. As travellers experience unforgettable moments, Visa remains the gateway to an array of offers that give cardholders the ability to maximize their joy and access to thousands of attractions that unlock the secrets of their preferred destinations.

    Visa’s General Manger for West Africa, Ade Ashaye said the most important highlight of the campaign is that the firm is able to communicate with the hearts and minds of travellers and help them appreciate the hidden treasures of the places they visit.

    “As a global payments technology company, we believe in the power and reach of mobile applications, to tap in to the large population of smart phone users, mostly millennials who can effectively influence other aspirational travellers in the same age group,” Ashaye said.

    He said that in Nigeria, tourists are encouraged to participate in a competition by posting pictures of themselves on twitter. The winners will get weekly prizes such as Ipads, Nikon cameras, $1000 and a grand prize of $15,000 trip to Dubai for four nights.

  • Visa, MasterCard to face big competition in China

    Visa and MasterCard’s challenges in China are just beginning. The country is set to open its $7 trillion bank card market to outsiders. But once in, Visa and MasterCard will face an entrenched incumbent and unpredictable online rivals like e-commerce group, Alibaba.

    The duo’s shares have soared since Beijing’s announcement last October, but the hype around gaining a foothold in the People’s Republic looks premature.

    Five billion bank cards, according to Reuters, had been issued in China as of the first quarter of this year. Currently, payments made using those credit and debit cards – 12 trillion yuan ($1.9 trillion) in the first three months of 2015 – must go through UnionPay, the state-backed monopoly responsible for processing and clearing local transactions between banks and merchants.

    For Visa and MasterCard, processing payments in what will be the world’s largest bank card market by 2020 looks attractive. Assume consumer spending on credit and debit cards increase at a compound rate of 20 per cent annually for the next 10 years. By 2024, card payments in China will hit over $42 trillion.

    Yet card transaction fees are tightly regulated and much lower than in the West. Supermarkets, for instance, pay around 0.38 per cent for every card transaction while restaurants and luxury retailers pay up to 1.25 percent, according to Barclays. That fee is split: 70 per cent goes to the bank that issued the card, 20 per cent to the merchant’s payments company, and just 10 per cent to UnionPay. In comparison, MasterCard charges supermarkets up to 1.48 per cent for certain credit cards in the US.

    If the average Chinese card transaction fee is around 0.5 per cent, a combined 10 per cent market share for Visa and MasterCard would translate to $1.1 billion in revenue from each company’s clearing business in 2025. While both companies already have strong ties to Chinese banks, convincing merchants to switch to a different clearing network may be an uphill battle: the most popular payments company used by retailers is owned by UnionPay and had a 40 per cent share of the market in 2013, according to iResearch.

    Online companies will also add uncertainty. Alibaba’s payments affiliate, Alipay, which is also applying for a clearing licence according to people familiar with the situation, can bypass UnionPay since it does not require customers to use cards and charges retailers lower rates.

  • Lesser Hajj: Saraki decries Saudi’s Visa policy

    Lesser Hajj: Saraki decries Saudi’s Visa policy

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has criticized the entry visa issuance policy of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Nigeria for this year’s lesser hajj.
    Saraki who arrived Medinah on Saturday listened to complaints from some Nigerians who are performing the lesser hajj.
    He noted that the Saudi authorities, unlike other embassies in the country, refused to articulate a visa policy which potential visitors to the holy land can follow and obtain their entry visa without any difficulty once they meet the requirements.
    “The present process in which visitors to Saudi must go through a third party has created artificial bottlenecks now being exploited by the travel agents and the embassy officials.
    ” Our people are now made to suffer indignities arising from conspiracy between the embassy officials and the so-called agents. The process is fraught with corrupt practices,” Saraki said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu.
    The Senate President said some Nigerians informed him that they had to send their passports through Saudi embassies in other West African countries where the cost of the visa was less and they did not need to go through the hardship experienced in Nigeria.
    “It is unimaginable the amount of money people paid to get visa for this year’s lesser hajj and we do not want that to repeat itself for the hajj proper coming in a few months’ time. You know this religious rites and obligations are very important to our people and so, despite these inconveniences, they still struggle to get here and we have a responsibility to ensure this exploitation and inconvenience stop immediately,” Saraki said.
    He reassured Nigerians who complained to him that the Saudi visa policy will be one of the issues the Senate will look into when it resumes plenary later in the month.
    He said that the Saudi authorities as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja will be engaged to find a lasting solution to the problems of visa issuance to Nigerians by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
    The Senate President further called on all Nigerian Muslims on lesser hajj and those at home to devote the last days of Ramadan to pray for peace, security, development and progress of Nigeria.
    He urged them to specifically ask for Allah’s intervention in the search for a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis in the North-Eastern part of the country and for God to help President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to revamp the economy of Nigeria.

  • Ogu denied visa to Holland

    Ogu denied visa to Holland

    Promising Nigerian striker Ogu Ezouchku will not travel with the rest of his Ironi Kiryat Shmona F.C. teammates for a training camp in Holland after he was denied a visa by the Dutch Embassy in Israel.

    The decision of the Dutch diplomats will come as a surprise because the Premier League vice-champions had also applied for a visa for Bolivia international Luis Gutiérrez which was successful.

    In addition, the 19-year-old Ogu Ezouchku has a valid Israeli work permit. The teenager impressed for the youth team of Ironi Kiryat Shmona last season, and the highlight of his performance was netting a hat-trick against Maccabi Tel Aviv Under-19s last December.

    Ogu Ezouchku is under contract with the 2012 champions for the next four seasons.