National

Government has strongly advised the business community to adopt visa transaction technology. This is in a bid to generate more proceeds from the tourism industry.

During a consultative meeting with travel and airline agencies yesterday, Rica Rwigamba, the Head of Tourism conservation at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said that the technology increases sales at a reduced operational cost.

She highlighted the reduced risks of handling money as well as ensuring customers’ convenience as some of the other benefits of embracing visa transaction systems.

“At such a time when internet usage has become the norm, there is increasing need to adapt to the new technology that will offer increased customer satisfaction,” Rwigamba advised.

She noted that the use of visa transaction technology leads to an increase in cash flow thereby improving the economic status among businesses in general.

In the same forum, Previn Pillay, the Head of Acceptance at Visa Sub-Saharan Africa, underscored the need to carry out visa transactions in local currency.

“This creates an inevitable demand for the local currency thereby increasing profits on the local market,” Pillay pointed out.

The Card Business Manager at Bank of Kigali (BK), Arnold Ndibo, observed that there were some hindrances towards the achievement of a full modern technology in the business world.

“Most banks and other stakeholders, including the general public, need more sensitisation so as to come on board,” he affirmed.

Ndibo revealed that his bank had drawn a decentralisation plan to reach out to the lowest possible level.

Available statistics show that there are about 1.8 billion visa cards worldwide with an average of 20,000 transactions recorded per second.

Contact email: sam.nkurunziza[at]newtimes.co.rw