MCI response to PQ on e payment for merchants

04 SEP 2020

Parliament Sitting on 4 September 2020

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

16. Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Ministry will increase awareness among merchants who adopt cashless payments on how to verify payments and what they can do to protect themselves from possible scams.

Answer:

  1. In recent years, the Government has made a concerted push to drive the adoption of cashless payment solutions by merchants.   We have made significant strides in developing a single, interoperable e-payment solution which unifies different payment schemes under a single SGQR label, making it easy, convenient and secure for users.

  2. There are understandable concerns about fraud, errors and security threats behind cashless payment solutions, among merchants as well as consumers. Beyond existing verification measures and safeguards within payment systems, merchants and consumers are encouraged to exercise vigilance to combat such scams, keep devices secure with the latest security patches, and maintain their password secrecy. 

  3. Recently, concerns were raised that merchants unfamiliar with cashless payments may face greater risk of payment scams.  In June 2020, IMDA launched the Hawkers Go Digital programme, as part of a nationwide effort to help micro-enterprises like stallholders at NEA hawker centres, HDB coffeeshops and wet markets and JTC industrial canteens, to accelerate the adoption of the unified SGQR solution.  We also established the SG Digital Office (SDO), mobilising 1,000 Digital Ambassadors to work together with NETS to engage and guide stallholders.  Along with the deployment of the SGQR code, NETS will also help stallholders install the NETSBiz App on their digital device and teach them how to verify successful payment transactions in real-time. This App provides real-time notifications of successful payment transactions in English or Mandarin, has a voice notification capability in English and Mandarin, and allows stallholders to view their transaction histories. Stallholders may also approach NETS personnel or SDO’s Digital Ambassadors on the ground should they need further assistance.