He Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) An extension of the payments bonus announced on Tuesday on-line to “facilitate the progress of the process of Banking“On the island.
The measure, in force since Wednesday, expands the establishments where this bonus will be applied, set at 6 % of the amounts paid electronically, but does not include “online payments carried out in facilities and tourism dependencies”.
Nor does it contemplate its application to digital payments for the purchase of construction materials and the acquisition of fuels, the entity said A statement. That is, it does not apply in the so -called traces or gas stations.
In his information, the BCC recalls that this bonus has existed since August 2023, when the government launched the controversial banking program, but recognizes that it “has not been able to be extensive to the entire network of retail businesses.”
For this reason, and “by virtue of a set of measures aimed at facilitating the progress of the operations banking process,” the 6 % bonus is now extended to the entire retail network, whose financing will be assumed by Cuban banks .
This bonus will apply to the online payments that are made, “to any retail trade, through the national catwalks Transfermóvil, Enzona and the point of sale terminals.”
Another announced novelty is that for online payments greater than 3500 Cuban pesos (CUP), the 6 % bonus will not apply and these will be bonus with a fixed amount of 210 CUP.
The ultimate above means that the bonus percentage will be reduced to the extent that the total amount to be paid increases, when it exceeds that amount. This implies an affectation to the established incentive, given the context of high inflation and the high prices on the island.
The 6 % bonus was established by the BCC as a measure to boost payments on-line and reduce the use of cash in the context of the banking program, whose results have so far been below government claims and has generated criticism of the population due to the difficulties involved in practice.
This bonus to electronic payments in CUP coexists with others established for taxes and other activities – including some for currency cards – and is assumed by metropolitan banks, popular savings and credit and trade (bandec).
