THE Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) began accepting debit and credit cards as forms of payment earlier this month as part of the agency’s thrust to improve customer service.

“It is really a safer method and more convenient to customers and as an executive agency, we want to improve the quality of service that we provide,” said PICA’s chief executive officer, Jennifer McDonald, pointing out that this would also help to reduce the processing time.

“It (the payment facility) is not just for passport services but also for immigration services which pertain to re-entry visas and registration of persons who are not Commonwealth citizens, as well as nationals of other Commonwealth countries,” she added.

Assuring customers that the method would be safe to use, McDonald explained that the system is provided by the National Commercial Bank (NCB) and “they have met all of the safety requirements of the Ministry of Finance and Planning which has endorsed our use of the system”.

The agency, an arm of the Ministry of National Security, was transformed into an executive agency on June 1. The upgrade is a part of a wider initiative of the Jamaican Government and is aimed at increasing accountability and transparency in immigration, passport and citizenship operations.

Other government organisations which have been transformed into executive agencies include the Registrar General’s Department, the Jamaica Information Service, the Administrator General’s Department, the Companies Office of Jamaica, the National Land Agency, the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Child Development Agency and the Management Institute for National Development.