Poso Card benefits Gantsi pensioners, war vets
Leinanyana Tsiane | Thursday April 17, 2014 12:42
Speaking here recently, Botswana Post CEO, Pele Moleta said the card would replace the current coupon system used to pay social beneficiaries money.
The card, Moleta said, comes without a pin number as this could potentially make it accessible to other people. Instead, the Poso Card captures its owner’s voice and all the 10 fingerprints as well as the date of birth and Omang number.
“The reason why we capture all the fingers is because we want people to have an option of using all the fingers in case one of the fingers is injured. Previously systems would only capture the thumb,” said Moleta.
According to Moleta, the cardholder is therefore the only one who has access to the card. However, if a senior citizen is unable to collect their monthly allowance on site, they can then select a family member to retrieve the money on their behalf.
“The family member will also be required to have their information captured on the card. The amount they can withdraw will be determined by the cardholder,” Moleta said.The CEO added that the electronic card would allow beneficiaries to save funds instead of withdrawing all their entitlements at once. Botswana Post is also in negotiations with retailers for discounts on selected items when the card is presented. While Gantsi residents commended Botswana Post for the initiative, they however, raised concern about congestion at the post office in the town.
Residents said staff shortages had resulted in them spending the whole day at the post office when the go to collect their allowances. Some suggested that Botswana Post could use wards in Gantsi as pay points for social beneficiaries, to avoid congestion at the post office. In response, Moleta acknowledged the shortage of staff, but advised the beneficiaries against going to the post office for money at the same time. He said it was not possible to use wards as pay points because dikgosana would have to unduly carry the risk of handling monies that rightfully belong to government.