The President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, and the Minister of the Presidency, Rodolfo Piza, signed directive N ° 054-MP “Modernization of collection and payment mechanisms in public sector institutions”, addressed to the Central Administration and Decentralized

The provision instructs the State institutions to enable operational procedures that allow them to carry out all their collection and payment transactions by digital means, such as electronic transfers, payments with credit or debit cards, as well as mobile payments or any other product of electronic mobilization of money provided and supervised by the National Financial System.

“By enabling these procedures, public sector institutions will promote financial inclusion and the provision of electronic collection and payment options convenient for citizens,” explains the guideline.

“We are taking a fundamental step so that citizens have more options to make their transactions with public institutions, which satisfy their collection and payment needs in safer, more efficient and convenient conditions. This is an important dimension of our strategy to boost digital government, ”explained President Alvarado.

The president of the Central Bank of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Cubero, stressed the importance of public sector institutions “digitizing their collection and payment mechanisms so that citizens, especially the most disadvantaged, can reduce costs and risks in their transactions . This will allow an increase in the penetration of banking services and financial inclusion, and a reduction in the use of cash in the economy, with real gains for the population. ”

Coordinating Entity The guideline instructs the Central Bank to coordinate, advise, accompany and evaluate the projects formulated by the institutions for the modernization of their collection and payment infrastructures. In addition, you must submit a semi-annual progress report to the Governing Council.

Public sector entities must submit to the BCCR, within six months following the entry into force of the guideline, a work plan for updating their collection and payment systems, complying with good practices in the administration of Projects.

Execution time. The institutions will have a maximum term of five years for the execution of all the actions that determine the modernization of their transaction mechanisms. Cases that require an extension of the term must be approved by the Central Bank, after justification by the corresponding institution.

The guideline is given in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, signed by the State, which establishes the goal of “strengthening the capacity of institutions to promote and expand access to banking, financial and insurance services for all “