Residents of Union Island are calling for money transfer services like Western Union and MoneyGram on the island.
According to several residents who spoke with St Vincent Times, this has become particularly important following Hurricane Beryl.
One resident told St Vincent Times:
“Since the devastation, when relatives or friends sent a small amount of money, say, US $200, without a fast cash service in Union, the remittances have little value for the intended purposes, as travel one way to the mainland is EC $120 and accommodation and food are around $200.”
The resident expressed that the remaining funds were insufficient to purchase a 5-gallon bucket of paint.
“If a fast cash service is available on Union, then both Mayreau and Union residents will not need to travel to the mainland, so this is one of his major concerns which we would like to have addressed.”
Residents say the service can be implemented in a limited manner, or the money transfer services can connect with BOSVG to provide the service.
Bank of SVG is already operating in Union Island.
