State Minister for Commerce Delano Seiveright has described a new digital payment system for shop operators at the Manor Park /Constant Spring Bus Park in Kingston, as a vital step in modernizing small businesses and enhancing the local commercial environment.

The initiative, led by Mastercard, in partnership with NCB and Digicel, is aimed at expanding digital inclusion, particularly within the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) and informal sectors, by making it easier for vendors to accept electronic payments.

It builds on a successful pilot executed in craft markets in Montego Bay, St. James and is being extended across additional markets and tourismlinked zones islandwide.

As part of the initiative, selected vendors have now been equipped with nfcenabled smartphones and digital merchant tools allowing them to accept contactless tap-to-pay card transactions directly from their phones.

Mr. Seiveright says the move is intended to improve convenience, security and business opportunities for operators in the area, especially given the high volume of commuters and visitors who pass through the manor park corridor daily, many of whom increasingly use cards and digital payments.

Speaking during a visit to Manor Park, Mr. Seiveright said the initiative aligns squarely with ongoing efforts to upgrade the commercial space . 

The state minister also noted that the digital inclusion push forms part of the wider upgrading of the manor park commercial space under a public/private partnership involving Richard Lake and the Lake Group, PanJam, the Lisa Hanna Foundation, TPDco, KSAMC, Wisynco and other stakeholders.

He said substantial upgrade works have already been completed, with major landscaping improvements scheduled to begin this month.