Lack of credit/debit card machines stunts Immigration’s fee collection on VG
A payment terminal.
Despite calls for assistance from the previous government, the Immigration Department’s fee collection operations on Virgin Gorda are being stunted because of a lack of payment terminals, which are colloquially termed as credit/debit card machines.
Rosemary Callwood gave that indication to the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) back in April while she served as Acting Chief Immigration Officer.
According to Callwood, “the Immigration Department has been working tirelessly to get these machines implemented at all ports of entries … [and] on many occasions, the department has reached out to the treasury department for the assistance of cashiers to collect the fees and the credit card machines. But, to date, there has been no assistance.”
She further said she has sought assistance from the ministry since a new political party now sits as government.
Callwood also insisted on the need for a more modern border management system, as the current system is more than a decade old.
In the meantime, plans for the Immigration Department has for this year includes customer service training and law enforcement training for its officers.
This training is said to be geared towards making the officers more effective when carrying out their duties and equipping them to become well skilled to respond swiftly to any criminal activity they identify.
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This has nothing to do with which administration is in and this government will find that out the hard way. Too many senior civil servants are comfortable and not holding their weight which causes most of our issues.
Let’s push the restart button. We need more private sector job opportunities. We need to streamline our government and introduce transparency. We need to focus on education!
Of course all the STRUPES will cry because “pushing reset button” costs millions of dollars. And that lot also cry about being a territory vs Free Association. Got to invest in the future to have a bright one!
This is an issue that fall squarely in the lap of the ministry of Finance, If your head is sick the rest of the body is also sick at least when Gaskin was there that would not have been a problems, say what you like finance is responsible for revenues and must put in place all provision to collect and secure.
It’s not just the ports of entry that don’t have credit card machines – they don’t have one at the main Immigration Office in Road Town either…..
Come on, this is the 21st century!!!
Hire competent people.
Sooo many online entities for the processing of credit cards..
All one need is a smart phone to conduct business!
..Why don’t we have competent staff that are aware of such entities..
Knowledgeable staff is always the key for success in business-governmental operations, included!
On a real when u do check out the Immigration workers am seeing some really old looking laid back people even in the customs dept sometimes I wonder if the to the age of ritirement but still working because of fame or good friends in society
They could well utilize the hill man in training but aahh Bouy.
Oh please and you can get a Square Reader for magstripe for 6.99 and a Square Contactless and Chip Reader for 32.00 online.