Susan Gordon, Business Reporter

Joylene Griffiths-Irving, director of Public, Corporate and Government Affairs at Scotia-bank Jamaica, says the internet kiosks will enhance convenience banking and are targetted at the technologically savvy. - File

Automated banking machines and point of sales machines are now commonplace, having stormed the local market in the late 1990s.

Now, a new trend appears to be emerging in electronic business transactions: Internet kiosks, with both banking and other institutions delivering their services through the online medium.

Jamaica's two largest commercial banks, the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited (BNS) and National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB), are onboard - Scotiabank is just now piloting its system - while mortgage agency National Housing Trust will be deploying the machines throughout its branch network in a matter of weeks.

"As of January 2, 2008, the NHT will be actively encouraging customers to apply for their contribution refunds online," NHT told its customers.

Customers to benefit

National Housing Trust head office on Park Boulevard, New Kingston. The NHT will be deploying Internet kiosks across its islandwide network in January. - File

"The move serves two main purposes: To create greater efficiencies in-house, as well as to help more customers to benefit from a shorter waiting period by applying online," said NHT Managing Director Earl Samuels.

Joylene Griffiths-Irving, director of public, corporate and government affairs at the Bank of Nova Scotia, told Sunday Business that her organisation was currently conducting a pilot programme using Internet kiosks.

At least three have been deployed in Kingston.

Their deployment, said Griffiths-Irving was "to enhance convenience, promote Internet banking, and reach the more technologically savvy."

The services, however, do not extend beyond those offered under the telephone banking facility, TeleScotia.

BNS' Internet kiosks can be seen in its New Kingston and Liquanea branches, and it has another placed in the highly trafficked retail store MegaMart, on Waterloo Road.

The bank does not charge its clients to use the facility and said their consistent presence in the locations would depend on the success of it.

NHT's online facility will be available for contribution refund applications.

The system will offer customers a three-day turnaround on the processing of refund cheques, substantially reducing the 10-15 day waiting period.

NHT says in 2007, its branch network saw on a daily basis, some 1,200 walk-ins for refund applications.

Samuels said the Internet kiosk would be especially useful for people in rural parishes who journey to head office every year in order to avoid the longer turnaround time for refunds at the branches.

The annual amounts refunded have almost quadrupled since 2004. Then, the NHT disbursed $513 million, but in the last two years, the refunds have topped $2 billion annually.

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com