SUVA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Using cash to pay for goods and services will become a thing of the past for residents in Fiji's fourth largest island Kadavu following the launch of the Vodafone M-PAiSA QR at the Advanced Store in the island's main administrative center of Vunisea.
According to Fiji's leading news website on Monday, Advanced Store owner Viliame Naqelevuki said that the Kadavu residents will benefit a lot from the cashless payment as there have been no banks on the island.
Kadavu chief Kitione Raibevu said a cashless society will benefit Kadavu in decentralization of the services of the post office.
Head for Vodafone's e-commerce and corporate affairs Shailendra Prasad said they are confident that M-PAiSA will soon become the preferred means of payment in shopping as well as sending and receiving money for the local residents.
Fiji is expected to turn into a cashless society in the not too distant future after the national payment system bill was passed in parliament recently.
Fiji's Minister for Local Government, Housing and Community Development Premila Kumar said the national payment system bill was designed to ensure Fiji's banking, payment and securities systems effectively responded to the ongoing evolution in modern payment practices across the globe.
Kumar said the current tech-savvy generation in Fiji is driving demand for a quick, seamless, personalized, and better national payment system.
Last year there were more Fijian businesses using Vodafone M-PAiSA QR Pay mobile platform as a mode of payment in a move towards a cashless society in light of the COVID-19 pandemic as remittances increased. Enditem
