Early re-opening brings relief for peoplein needto send money home
Remittance of’ces receive customers under strict healthrules
KUWAIT: After almost a month of closure due to the coronavirus, banks and remittance ofQces all over Kuwait have reopened with queues of customers. “We shall be strictly implementing the rules set by the ministry to maintain social distancing. [Customers] cannot transact with us without a facemask,” a remittance ofQce manager said in Salmiya.
Customers were delighted by the Cabinet decision Monday to reopen Qnancial service providers early including banks and money remittance ofQces, which were initially set to be operational by June 21.
“The decision to reopen was probably inPuenced by local banks because of the high demand from clients. Besides, they need to decide on the matter because some businesses are open, while the most important sector is closed. If some businesses are open, banks and Qnancial institutions must be open too,” a bank manager told Kuwait Times on the condition of anonymity.
Some Filipinos in the queues were happy that banks and remittance ofQces were allowed to open earlier than planned. “My family is waiting for my remittance since April, but they closed the ofQces during the full lockdown, and during that time my salary wasn’t in my bank, so I was not able to send money. If they had waited to open on June 21, it’s already too late. I was very worried about that, so I thank Kuwait for reopening remittance ofQces early,” said Jose, who was in a queue at a remittance center in Salmiya’s old souq.
He said he could not send money through online apps because his remittance ofQce, through which he sends money, doesn’t offer online services. “If I move to another remittance center, they will need all my documents and I will need to be at the branch. First time transaction online is not allowed without necessary documents and registration, and they couldn’t do this because remittance services were closed,” he said.
Another remittance customer in the queue yesterday said she urgently needed to send money home. “My family badly needsthe cash. We are also under lockdown in the Philippines, but a member of a family can go to the market. They ran out of money and borrowed from our neighbor. At least this money will help them repay the amount and the remaining will help them until the end of the month,” she said.