They eliminate cash payments at gas stations in Cuba

The CIMEX Corporation, a state company belonging to the military conglomerate GAESA, announced theelimination of cash payment at Cuban gas stations starting September 1.

Failing that, customers must use, "at their option",electronic means of payment such as chip cards, national and international magnetic stripe cards that operate in the country, disposable prepaid cards, electronic pins through Transfermóvil, and the rechargeable chip card, CIMEX indicated on its social networks.

In Isla de la Juventud and Guantánamo the closure will be from September 1 to 15; in Pinar del Río and Artemisa, from 1 to 30; Mayabeque, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Las Tunas and Granma, in the second half of September.

On the other hand, for Havana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Holguín, Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila it will be in October.

According to the corporation, electronic commerce "constitutes one of the strategic axes of the computerization policy of Cuban society" for which CIMEX implements it as a "strategy of gradual development throughout the network of service centers."

In promoting the new payment method, the company stated that disposable prepaid cards are sold in the CIMEX network, which has expanded to date in "more than 1,000 establishments", as well as through ETECSA telecommunications agents. accredited in the entity.

"Disposable prepaid cards have undergone technological improvements: the possibility of carrying out partial and total dispatches, unification at the time of dispatch of up to five cards in one and the incorporation of the QR code for both download and return, which is ensures through scanners that they streamline commercial processes," the entity said.

The measure occurs after theExecutive Committee of the Council of Ministers approved the Program for the banking of the country, through which the use of electronic collection and payment channels in the national territory is gradually "incentivized."

Although the company andpressofficial party has not mentioned it, there is a banknote deficit, so the authorities' bet is on digital banking.

Also at the end of July, the Havana Electric Company announced thesuspension of cash collectionin four of its commercial offices as of August 1st.

Customers in the towns of Plaza, Nuevo Vedado, Playa and Santa Fe will no longer be able to pay their electricity bill at the windows of those establishments, nor will their meter readers provide this service.