By Assan Bah
Mr Abdoul Khadir Touray, Head of QMONEY has assured improvement in the deployment of more QMONEY agents across the country to address farmers’ concerns in withdrawing or cashing out their payment.
“We are continuing the process of online payment. Farmers will be paid through their mobile wallets and they will have the chance to cash out their money within the secco.
He said in order to ensure that farmers get easy access to their funds, QMONEY has deployed their staff across the country and there is an identified head in every region. But he said they act based on the funds allocated to them by GGC.
“Every morning, we go to selected secco communities to pay farmers. Our target is to visit every secco community throughout the country.
He, however, said: “Some farmers will sometimes be in a haste and go distance to cash out their money or will want to have a bulk withdrawal. We act on what we have from GGC. If there is money, we disburse it and if there is no money we won’t. We actually do the float.”
He said WhatsApp forums are created in some communities for the secco managers, farmers, and stakeholder groups to ease communication. “We can also be reached through our contact numbers. We also have customer service officers at our office.
According to him, they are looking for different measures, to ensure that all the concerns of the farmers are addressed in the soonest possible time. “We have the data base of the farmers and all the secco managers and have also trained at least two people from all the communities. These agents were identified by the secco presidents.
However, speaking to farmers in Fass Omar Saho on Wednesday, January 22nd, they lamented challenges in cashing out their monies and some said they had to travel all the way to Banjul because they were informed in Barra that the cash would not serve all the farmers.
“The queue was long and we don’t think whether it will be sufficient for all of us here. I had to return home and travel to Banjul or the Kombos tomorrow because I do not plan crossing today,” said a farmer who sold his groundnuts at the Fass Omar Saho secco.
Another farmer in Fass Omar Saho, said, “They are paying today, but only through the QWALLET and there is no agent here. We either go to Barra, or Banjul or even to the Kombos to cash-out our money.”
Meanwhile, at Kerr Biran in the Upper Niumi district, the secco president confirmed the presence of a QMONEY agent who he said helped in the cashing-out process.
