The National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) will be incorporated into BiMPay in its second phase, allowing pensioners and other contributors quicker access to their funds.
Moments before BiMPay, Barbados’ new national instant payment system, went live on Friday, Governor of the Central Bank Dr Kevin Greenidge outlined that it would be expanded in the coming months to ensure that all government agencies were integrated into the network.
Speaking to the media following a church service marking the 59th anniversary of the NISSS at the St Matthias Anglican Church on Sunday, Chief Executive Officer of the NISSS Kim Tudor indicated that the service fell into the second phase and work was already underway for the incorporation.
“We have actually started proprietary work to go live. We will be in the next phase and making good use of it, especially when we have to pay things like the cost of living cash credit. BiMPay will be very useful for things like that,” she said.
Tudor encouraged persons without bank accounts and those who received NISSS cheques to sign up with the payment system if they wanted their funds sent digitally.
“We have started this month to encourage pensioners and other contributors that if they wish to receive funds digitally via BiMPay via lodgement, they could come to the NISSS during the month of June and sign up. We have a web-based form where you can upload your documents and make that switch over,” she said.
Tudor stated that the NISSS will be offering workshops for pensioners to be educated in how to operate the system.
Saying that her ministry will be assisting with this effort, Minister of Technological and Vocational Training Sandra Husbands stated that this would be part of the wider effort to enhance digital literacy through its upcoming digital training programme.
“Seniors need to know how to use digital technology to pay their bills, receive money, make payments and other things, so this will be part of the programme that we roll out this year and early next year so that our seniors are not left behind.
“Every senior cannot be housed at a residential facility, and they will need to know how to operate independently at home, and that can only happen if they use technology to enable them to continue to manage their own lives and only move around when they want to,” she said.
(JB)
