THE NST, November 4th, 2002 - Staff of Westport no longer need the hassle to carry cash as the port authority has introduced Startag cashless, an electronic payment card since September.

With startag cashless, Westport employees could now come to work without carrying any cash.

Project manager N.Vijendran said since the middle of September, Westport staff have the option of using the Startag cashless at the 11 retail outlets and the Mobil petrol kiosk located in port area.

He said Startag cashless, apart from serving as the payment card, will also be used as the same time attendance card and as medical treatment card at panel clinics when the system is fully implemented later this year.

In a statement, he said Westport employees may spend up to RM20 per day and RM200 per month using the card. There is also a flexible option of additional topping up of the monthly cash limit.

In order to promote the card and encourage its usage, Vijendran said the 1,800 Westport employees were given a non-deductible starter bonus of RM20.

By the middle of last month, he said over RM103 000 turnover had been recorded at the 12 participating outlets, indicating a good reception.

"About 60 per cent of our employees are young and single. So they tend to overspend at the beginning of the month, and run out of cash by the middle of the month," he said.

Vijendran said Startag cashless was mooted so that Westport employees will never be short of money for meals and petrol.

"Indirectly, I think, this new system will boost the productivity of the workforce" he said.

At present, the payment for employees' purchase is made by hassle-free monthly salary deductions, allowing them to enjoy a 15 to 30 days' credit facility. He said the management plans to eventually adopt a prepaid method of payement.

According to Vijendran, the employees not only benefit from Startag cashless, but the retail outlets benefit too.

"The outlets do not have to hold excessive cash on their tills or worry about thefts. For them it is a daily transaction between the Alliance Bank and their bank accounts," he said.

K.Rajan of Lakewest periodicals, a retail outlet at Westport, said since the introduction of the payment card, its sales have increased by almost 20 per cent.

I don't have to worry about short-payments made by my cashier," he said in the statement.

Westport managing director Tan Sri G.Gnanalingam said the introduction of the payment card showed that the company has yet again set a new industry standard, being the first company to introduce.

"Together with Westport Instant Access, where the customers could request important information such as container status or vessel schedule using their hand-phone Short Messaging System or SMS, and smart-card security systems, we have achieved three firsts this year alone," he said.