Editor, This is really more useful than the recent article on the printing of new money. Talking about e-payments, it still takes almost three months to get an ATM from local banks. Already, there are close to no government service that you can pay for online. What electronic payment is the governor talking about? What has it (government) done to support that? Kigali Bus Services (Remera) has really tried with cards for public transportation but that is just one component of the whole e-payment system. I would like to ask for a simple favour: If it’s possible, can The New Times provide us an article on how far we have gone with electronic payments? What goods and services can be paid for electronically as of now? What areas still lag behind? what a common man can do to also get to pay electronically? What modes of payment do we have so far showing outreach of each of them? What can the government do to make this happen? Let us stop singing cashless economy with our hands in the pocket. I thank BNR for the great work and The New Times for the timely updates. Calvin ************ I agree. Earlier this year, I tried paying my taxes online, something I’d seen trumpeted in ads and the press for months. It wasn’t possible. I had to go to one of the local banks, queue for two hours and pay in person with cash. I’d also appreciate some digging into what goods I can pay for with a card and where? As far as I know, only Nakumatt, select airline offices and high-end hotels accept credit cards. Felicity ************ Dear Calvin, we do appreciate your concerns. It is true infrastructure and usage is still limited, however, it is important to note that the Rwandan payment system industry (banks, telecom and others) have made tremendous efforts to develop the payment system in Rwanda. We have seen the number of ATMs increasing from 84 to 343 and POS from 99 to 1057 from 2010 to June 2014; mobile payment services are picking up with 1,238,709 active subscribers as compared to 231,000 in 2010. The Government, the Central Bank and the private sector have set up strategies that will lead Rwandans towards an inclusive cash-less society. We are not yet there but on a sure footing. Doreen Makumi BNR’s Corporate Communications Unit. Reactions to the story, “Use electronic payment to limit banknote wear – Rwangombwa” (The New Times, December 4)
