At least one senator is calling for an extensive public education campaign as Government rolls out its new national payment system.
It has come from Senator Alphea Wiggins who believes Barbadians need to be educated about the coming changes before they take effect in the next few months.
“What I would sincerely advise is that we have a rollout of a national public education campaign in relation to how this National Payments Bill would affect everyone…I am saying that we need to educate the general public as to what is going on with this Bill because people would say, ‘It is not affecting me’,” she said during debate this morning on the National Payment System Bill, 2021.
Senator Wiggins pointed out that a large number of young people had already moved to a platform for a cashless society.
She explained that a national campaign would especially help older persons to better understand the transition.
She said an upgraded digital payment system would especially help to eliminate long lines at banks and post offices, which in most instances were caused by elderly Barbadians.
“What we want is to spread it primarily to our senior population. A lot of persons are saying that they must have their pension cheques in their hands…but what I am saying is that you are eliminating the postmen from delivering cheques to people. Public education has to be rolled out to especially target the seniors, she stressed. (RB)
