The Bank South Pacific (BSP) in Fiji has installed 5 Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) machines at five islands in the Lau Group.

BSP staff Isikei Taoi said communication through mobile phones was poor in these respective villages, on the islands of Matuku, Totoya, Ono-i-lau, Kabara and Moce so they decided to install EFTPOS machines.

“There is delay or difficulty for those wanting to withdraw money so we have introduced EFTPOS machines that works through satellite,” he said.

Civil Servants on these islands, he said, could withdraw money through the machine and also check on their account balance.

Matuku island delegate to the Lau Provincial Council Setareki Baleirara said the EFTPOS machines on the island were also a relief for those islands who had a BSP account.

He said gone were the days when civil servants in these islands waited for their pay cheques or for their money to be sent from Suva through money order to the island’s Post Offices.

In the past civil servants on the island had to open an account in village canteens and paid them when their pay cheques arrived.

The arrival of their cheques would depend on the arrival of inter-island vessels bringing mail to the Post Office.

He said most of the village canteens account was with BSP and the EFTPOS machines would help them.

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

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