By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter


With more employers joining the Wage Protection System (WPS) as stipulated by Qatar’s labour authorities, there is a growing feeling among some residents that banks should take steps to educate workers on the proper use of debit cards.
A large number of low-income workers have received debit cards as part of the new system, under which monthly salaries are to be transferred to bank accounts. Their numbers are expected to increase as more firms start following the WPS.
However, many of these workers have never used debits cards before, in Qatar or back home where they worked earlier. As a result, they need assistance during transactions such as withdrawal of money from ATMs.
While some are not familiar with the process of withdrawing money, others feel a card issued by one bank will work in only that bank’s ATMs and not elsewhere.
“This misconception seems to be somewhat common among many first-time users of electronic cards. They cannot be blamed wholly for having such a view,” said the public relations officer of a contracting firm, which started complying with the WPS earlier this month along with several other companies in the country.
It has been observed that blue-collar workers gather at ATMs, particularly on weekends, in large numbers. As many of them require assistance with money withdrawal and other functions, transactions at ATMs take longer than usual, leading to long queues outside.
Legal activist Nizar Kochery said banks should consider using facilities such as mobile ATMs to reach out to workers and help them get familiar with the use of electronic cards, particularly in places like the Industrial Area, Umm Salal Mohamed and Al Khor, where thousands of workers live in company-provided accommodation. This can be carried out over at least a couple of months.
Such an initiative will help educate workers on the proper and safe use of debit cards, it is felt. “They should also know what to do in the event of losing or misplacing their debit cards,” said Kochery.  
Another social activist in the Indian community said through mobile ATMs, banks could consider educating workers at places such as the central bus station in Doha, Asian Town and places adjacent to hypermarkets, which are frequented by large groups of workers. “This could be done in the afternoon on weekends,” he suggested.