Central Bank, BARP partner to advance digital literacy for seniors

The Central Bank of Barbados and the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP)  have formalised a new partnership aimed at equipping senior citizens with the skills  needed to confidently navigate the digital financial landscape.  

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed today, establishes a collaborative digital  literacy empowerment programme focused on training elderly persons in the use of  BiMPay, Barbados’ national instant payment system, which will go live on June 12, as  well as other essential digital tools.  

The initiative is designed to empower senior citizens to conduct everyday financial  transactions using BiMPay, provide hands-on training with digital devices including  tablets, reduce the digital divide between older and younger populations, and  promote greater financial inclusion among elderly Barbadians. It also strengthens  collaboration between the Bank and BARP in support of national digital  transformation efforts while building awareness and adoption of BiMPay.  

Governor of the Central Bank of  Barbados Dr Kevin Greenidge underscored the importance of inclusive modernisation.  

“Digital transformation must work for everyone. As we introduce systems like BiMPay,  we must ensure that our seniors are not left behind, but are instead equipped with  the knowledge and confidence to benefit fully from these advancements. This  partnership with BARP allows us to take a practical, hands-on approach to bridging  that gap and strengthening financial inclusion,” he said.  

Under the agreement, the Central Bank will play a central role in programme delivery.  The Bank will sponsor and provide tablets to facilitate hands-on learning, design and  deliver a comprehensive BiMPay training module tailored specifically for elderly  participants, and deploy qualified technical staff and BiMPay specialists to conduct  training sessions.