Editor, RE: “Rwanda’s journey to cashless economy: Where are we three years to deadline?” (The New Times, March 29). Here are my thoughts: there are only two things that can be done to accelerate the use of electronic payments and remittance in Rwanda: 1. The Government should assess whether the banks are adopting electronic payments, identify the challenges they are facing which may include the expertise, and identify the right technology and acquisition. Then from there, design a framework to work with these banks to solve those problems in agreed deadlines and offer incentives if necessary and possible. 2. The Government and the banks should work together and a mass sensitisation campaign on electronic payments through the media and local government structures. However, given that not all Rwandans have mobile phones or any other electronic devices, we may not achieve a 100% cashless economy by 2020 but we may come closer. We may at least have 70 per cent of those who own cell phones onboard. I assume mobile money services will have a big market share in this niche for a while than debit and credit cards. Jado
