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Summary
- Without proper internet connectivity, NZ rural residents might face issues while making cheque-less and cashless transaction.
- Elderly folks who are used to withdrawing cash to carry out their day-to-day transaction, might require help from others to learn online banking.
- The vision for paper-less New Zealand could be realised only when the needs of the rural people are taken into consideration.
It has been reported that rural regions in New Zealand, may face problems with the banks switching towards online platform. While banks feel that by discouraging the use of cheques would eventually help them in achieving the goal of going contact-less and paper free transaction.
The issue is that thousands of people living in rural New Zealand regions have no access to consistent internet connection. An NZ survey revealed that 61.3% farmers and other rural Kiwi inhabitants are worried about the discontinuation of cheques, whilst a mere 26.7% do not see it as a problem.
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Rural area glitches on the road towards cashless New Zealand
Most people, whether farmers or others living in remote NZ areas, are highly dependent on cheques for their transactions whether it is to clear monthly bills or shopping for farm resources. Internet problems might create hindrance to the smooth functioning.
So, while banks would like people to believe that the quick shift to internet banking is not happening because people are phobic to new technology. Rather, many elderly folks are set in their old ways to carry out their day-to-day transaction, they might require help from relatives or friends to settle in the new ways of online banking.
While some places do not have internet connectivity whatsoever, there are some places, where setting up a decent network would cost a great deal. No matter how much the bank trains people or offers excellent customer service to promote the use of internet banking, internet banking without a good connection is not possible.
The vision for paper-less New Zealand
The transition to a cashless and cheque-less New Zealand may be commencing way too soon for a section of people. While the entire country is going through a natural cheque reduction in hopes that it will phase out on its own in the future, there is a need to deal with internet issues if the change must be nation-wide.
Sharron Davie-Martin, South Island board member at the Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) raises a valid question, asking how people would cope with going cheque-less if there are no stable alternatives available to it.
RWNZ President believes rural areas’ needs not taken into consideration
In December 2020, the RWNZ welcomed their new president Ms. Gill Nayor. Back then she expressed her excitement on taking over the new role and join the organisation that has been working ceaselessly for the empowerment of rural communities in New Zealand since the year 1925.
She was also of the view that the idea of removing cheques from the system is surely going to put extra strain on the rural people. The organisation is calling upon the government to accept cheques as a mode of payment, till the time there is not a permanent solution found in the form of reliable internet connectivity in the far-flung NZ regions.
She further added that financial organisations do not seem to have considered the needs of the rural communities while creating their guidelines and there is a need for a solution to be found for the same.
