VEON’s Mobilink Bank and Banglalink Take Home “Digital Nations” Awards at GSMA’s M360 Asia-Pacific

Seoul, 2 October 2024: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON), a global digital operator, is delighted to announce that its operating companies Mobilink Microfinance Bank and Banglalink have been recognized for their work in digital inclusion with three awards at the M360 APAC – GSMA’s annual flagship event for the Asia Pacific region.

The “Digital Nations Award” recognizes the contributions of mobile technology in driving the digital transformation of nations. The competition attracted submissions from 11 countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Mobilink Bank received the “Digital Nations Video Creativity Award” for its “Invisible Heirs" campaign. The impactful video addresses a social issue in Pakistan and many other parts of the world where women don’t receive what is rightfully theirs following the death of a spouse or parent. Mobilink launched a one-of-a-kind inheritance calculator that empowers women to claim their rightful share of inheritance by helping them easily calculate their inheritance rights. Furthermore, Quratulain Chaudhary, Head of Women’s Financial Services and Sustainability at Mobilink Bank, was recognized with the “Women Digital Leadership Award”.

Another VEON Group company Banglalink received the “Excellence in Digital Inclusion Video Award” for the "MyBL Super App: Revolutionising Healthcare in Rural Bangladesh" campaign. Banglalink’s MyBL super app, which includes a healthcare module among other features and serves 7.8 million monthly active users as of September 2024, has helped make healthcare more accessible in the country, especially for underserved populations in rural Bangladesh where healthcare services are difficult and expensive to reach.

“At VEON, we are dedicated to creating solutions that serve the underserved and drive greater inclusion through the power of digital services. We sincerely congratulate our colleagues at Mobilink Bank and Banglalink for developing very impactful campaigns that address critical issues in their respective markets. The mobile industry as a whole has a huge role to play in bridging inequalities through the power of digital, and we celebrate the work of our fellow mobile operators as well as of VEON Group companies,” said Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO.

Mobilink’s “Invisible Heirs” campaign video is available at https://youtu.be/4Fui59QNaBA?si=K3QxTwj8NBD_uimG and Banglalink’s “Revolutionising Healthcare in Rural Bangladesh” video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/qK8vADjHZcM?si=5yT2gOGfw1HEzLtY

These awards add to the numerous recognitions Banglalink and Mobilink Microfinance Bank have received over the last few years. Mobilink Microfinance Bank won the prestigious 2023 Pakistan Banking Award for the Best Bank for Inclusion as well as the National Financial Literacy Programme Award from the State Bank of Pakistan.

Banglalink won the Best Sustainability Excellence Initiative award in the Disaster Response category at the Bangladesh Sustainability Excellence Awards 2023, recognizing its contribution to societal welfare through the innovative integration of an Early Warning System within the MyBL Super App during Cyclone Mocha.

About VEONVEON is a digital operator that provides converged connectivity and digital services to nearly 160 million customers. Operating across six countries that are home to more than 7% of the world’s population, VEON is transforming lives through technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic growth. Headquartered in Amsterdam, VEON is listed on Nasdaq and Euronext. For more information visit: www.veon.com

Contact Information

VEON Hande Asik Group Director of Communications pr@veon.com

TUVA Partners Julian Tanner Julian.tanner@tuvapartners.com

Attachment