KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is looking to diversify cash disbursement options for beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

The ministry has targeted an initial 3,000 beneficiaries for promotional day activities, which include collaborations with mobile money service providers as a potential option for PATH payments. Mobile Money is an electronic wallet service available in many countries that enables users to deposit, send, receive and use money via their mobile phone. The service allows people to make purchases, pay bills and transfer money, among other services.

Social Marketing Manager for PATH, Marcia Bolt Williams, who spoke at the first promotional session for the initiative’s pilot at the ministry’s North Street office in Kingston on Tuesday, said should beneficiaries choose the mobile money option, it could prove to be more convenient than receiving cheques every other month.

“There are some inconveniences to the beneficiaries to collect the cheque. They have to go to the post office and stand in line to collect, (and) they will then need to encash it at a bank or at a retail outlet. Some retailers, however, insist that the beneficiary purchase something or pay a small fee. We are trying to eliminate all of that by offering them this option that is much more flexible,” she said.

Beneficiaries in Kingston and St Andrew who use post offices situated at Cross Roads, Denham Town, Bull Bay and the Central Sorting Office (CSO) are being targeted in the pilot.

The programme, which is being spearheaded by the Ministry’s Public Assistance Division, will, thereafter, be assessed with a view to expanding it islandwide.

“The pilot will run for three payment periods. So the person who will sign up today will receive their payment by this new method in December, February and April, after which we will do the assessment,” Bolt Williams explained.

Promotional activities were undertaken for beneficiaries at the Cross Roads Post Office on Tuesday (November 15) and at the CSO on Wednesday (November 15).

These engagements continue today (November 16) at the Ministry for Denham Town beneficiaries, and for Bull Bay residents at the Bull Bay Community Centre on Friday (November 17).

The providers partnering with the ministry in the endeavour are NCB Quisk, GK MPay and Alliance Investment Management Limited.