Last Updated on June 20, 2020, 7:30 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Barbados is now working for introducing a national digital identification, which can be rolled out during the next six months.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley made the disclosure on Wednesday when she was speaking about the delivery economy, which has emerged greatly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mottley said that the delivery economy is with us right now and we only need to nurture the delivery economy.
For decades, the supermarkets were trying to nurture it, but they could not get anywhere; even the banks were trying to do it, but they did not get any results; and all of a sudden, everybody has realised now that the contactless commerce is here and it needs to be exploited.
She said this while she was speaking at a webinar which was hosted by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and was titled ‘Business Unusual: Recalibrating Business and National Strategies for Economic Growth and Investment Creation’.
Prime Minister Mottley further added that the delivery economy not only matters regarding the food but also the delivery of the pension cheques from the country’s social security agencies would be a thing of the past.
That the country can literally have the welfare benefits and the child maintenance benefits and all things of these sorts, ultimately loaded on to a phone or card.
She said that Barbados is now moving towards the national digital identification, which, is being expected to be introduced during the course of the coming six months.
The prime minister also expressed her view that the region shall protect the health of the citizens as well as the visitors in this COVID-19 coronavirus environment.
She said that the region should exploit its excellent track record in the sector of public health during this crisis, noting that over the years, the area has produced public health giants who have made a difference both regionally and globally.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
