Prime Minister Godwin Friday has emphasized his government’s commitment to unlocking international payment gateways for local entrepreneurs, revealing that his administration is working closely with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to resolve the issue.
Speaking on NBC radio Friday highlighted the specific financial hurdles faced by creatives, social media content creators, and young business operators. He noted that while these entrepreneurs often have great ideas and successfully market their products globally, they are severely hindered by a lack of access to wire transfers and other international payment systems.
“It’s a real challenge for people who… have great ideas, they have markets all over the place, and it’s okay, ‘I sell my product here, but how am I going to get paid?'” Friday stated, emphasizing that young people cannot practically sustain their businesses under these limitations.
To resolve this critical bottleneck, the Prime Minister announced that the government is working “feverishly” to implement solutions both domestically and in coordination with the ECCB. Friday acknowledged that citizens have been waiting for these payment gateways to open and encouraged the public to keep reminding the government of the issue’s urgency.
Addressing the timeline for the implementation of these international payment systems, Friday asked for patience while assuring the public of his administration’s dedication.
“The fact that it hasn’t happened yet means that it takes a little time, because if it was so easy it would have been done already,” he explained, adding that the government fully recognizes the immense importance of getting these financial structures in place