CASHLESS POLICY AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES OF SMALL- SCALE BUSINESSES IN DELTA CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT IN DELTA STATE - NIGERIA: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

The paper examined the cashless policy and economic activities of small-scale businesses in Delta Central Senatorial District in Delta State - Nigeria: Benefits and challenges. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of 2,600 small-scale business (SSB) owners and a simple random sampling technique was used and a sample of 260 was obtained. A 24-item questionnaire titled questionnaire for cashless policy on economic activities of small-scale businesses (QCPEASSB) was used for data collection. The face and content validity of the instrument was done by three experts from Delta State University, Abraka. The internal consistency of the instrument was ascertained using a Cronbach‟s Alpha statistical tool which yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.80. Mean and standard deviation were used for answering research questions while t-test statistics was used in testing null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The benefits of cashless policy on economic activities of Small Scale Businesses (SSB) in Delta Central Senatorial District in Delta State are, faster transaction, reduced crime rate, flexibility of payment among others while challenges of the policy include insufficient point of sale (POS), poor electricity, and poor network system among others. The study recommended that the SSB owners should make adequate use of the e-channels in making and receiving payment for transactions since it helps to reduce the level of stress, revenue leakage and cash handling cost. Also, Government should make provision of constant power in every part of Delta Central Senatorial District and the National Communication Commission and the banks need to improve the network system to avoid fund transactions failure.

 

Keywords: Cashless policy, economic activities, small-scale business, benefits, challenges