Botswana post terminate vouchers for DSP services

Pauline Dikuelo | Monday March 9, 2015 15:23

“The public is informed that all those beneficiaries who have not enrolled for the card should have done so by the end of this month. All payments will be processed through the Poso Card beginning April,” said Botswana Post head of Strategy Lebogang Bok on a statement

Poso Card is an innovative card payment system upgrade project that has simplified and modernised the facilitation process of the Department of Social Protection payments to Old Age Pensions, World War Veterans and Destitute allowances.

The Poso Card electronic payment system successfully went live on  July 7 last year, and to date about 90 percent of the beneficiaries have registered to use the electronic payment system.

The figures mentioned above will change as the Post target 100 percent of beneficiaries to be registered by end of this month. Botswana Post found it necessary to switch from the voucher system to the card payment as the production, reconciliation and distribution of the voucher system is lengthy and therefore costly.

This is one of the Botswana Post’s efforts to claim its role in the changing communication landscape, as it was feared to be losing its relevance. “We realised the need to embrace technology and transition by being a traditionalist Post Office to a service provider of choice, by leveraging on technology and strategic partnerships in order to deliver first class services to Batswana nationwide.” For the past four years Botswana Post honed its skills in third party funds collections for Department of Roads Transport and Safety (DRTS), Selibe- Phikwe Town Council, Ngwato Land Board.

Through automation of their counters, they also offer prepaid electricity through partnerships with First National Bank Botswana, Barclays Bank, Be Mobile and Orange.