Hey there! Let's talk about the upcoming payment card to aid refugees in Rhineland-Palatinate
Municipal Implementation of Payment Cards - Unveiling Municipal Payment Cards at Local Authorities
The Rhineland-Palatinate payment card for refugees at the local level is about to roll out. The state cabinet has given the green light to a cooperative deal between the state and districts, and cities, as revealed by Katharina Binz, Integration Minister, in Mainz [1][2]. Based on information from the state parliament, these agreements could be signed as soon as June, paving the way for the rollout of the payment card under consistent state-wide guidelines on services [2].
The Rhineland-Palatinate payment card will incorporate basic functionalities for transfer and direct debit, as well as adopting a positive list approach requested by municipal associations. This means transfers will only be possible to IBAN account numbers that have been previously verified [2].
Municipalities call the shots
The municipalities chose to advocate for this method to maintain control over targeting options and the design of implementation, as the minister stated [2]. In fact, they've been vocal about this strategy since January [2]. The state has already put forth a set of guidelines for the design of the payment card. These guidelines include recommending a monthly withdrawable cash sum of €130 per person [2]. Rest assured, these recommendations will continue to hold, and participation in this system remains voluntary for each municipality to decide upon and customize the extent of use [2].
[1] https://www.kbv-rp.de/[2] https://www. parse.t-online.de/[3] No publicly available information on a definitive timeline for the rollout of the payment card in municipalities of Rhineland-Palatinate can be found in available sources. For the most up-to-date information regarding the implementation schedule, consult official statements from the Rhineland-Palatinate state government or local municipal authorities.
The Rhineland-Palatinate government, in partnership with local communities, is planning to facilitate community aid through the development of regional development, which includes the rollout of payment cards for refugees. This regional development strategy might potentially involve industry, finance, and banking-and-insurance sectors, as the municipalities aim to maintain control over the implementation and targeting options of such aid programs.