Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, announced on Monday that a new national system aimed at making payments easier for the public should be ready within the next few months.
The President made the announcement while speaking at the opening of Demerara Bank’s new Beterverwagting branch on the East Coast Demerara, saying he expects the system to be ready in about six months. He also said new digital wallets will be rolled out, allowing persons to make payments through their phones or with bank cards.
Dr. Ali said he has already engaged the governor of the Bank of Guyana on the rollout of the new system. He noted that supporting infrastructure—such as cashier stations in supermarkets across the country or other transaction locations—will also need to be developed over the coming months.
The President added that in February, the Bank of Guyana had completed several necessary processes to support the new system. He also said two commercial banks are prepared to adopt the platform once it is launched.
Last year, Dr. Ali announced the government’s pursuit of the e-payment system, saying it would allow for bill payments through the platform and that government ministries and agencies would be linked to facilitate payment of services.
