WILLEMSTAD.- The Centrale Bank van Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) had the pleasure to welcome several stakeholders to the first National Payment Council (NPC) meeting in Sint Maarten on January 22, 2024, and in Curaçao on January 25, 2024. Numerous payment related topics took center stage, including discussions on the Instant Payments system, the introduction of Master and Visa debit cards, the introduction of Caribbean guilder, and a range of other noteworthy topics. These focal points were emphasized as key agenda items for forthcoming meetings.
The NPC is a platform where payment system policy dialogue takes place between the authorities, the CBCS and Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BT&P), and stakeholders, securing a fair representation of the public and private interests involved in payment system activities. It is also the place where payment service providers (PSPs) and users can voice and discuss their expectations and challenges, and possibly translate them into new features of the national payment system. Therefore, the main objectives of the NPC are: Policy Development, Safety and Efficiency, Financial inclusion, Interoperability, Stakeholder Collaboration and Education and awareness. Based on the community’s needs, the NPC annually selects one or more of aforementioned objectives to address. The NPC is chaired by the CBCS and is supported by a secretariat within the CBCS. The NPC meetings will take place at least twice a year.
Besides the authorities, membership in the NPC is limited to a core group of institutions deemed pertinent to specific issues under discussion. Institution such as those representing payment service providers, like the Curaçao and Sint Maarten Bankers Associations and the Curaçao Fintech Association, and institutions representing users of payment services within the countries, such as government entities, utility companies, consumers, and business associations, are included.
