Ireland Shows Australia How To Protect Cash

Ireland has showed Australia how to ensure consumers can access and use cash - by forcing supermarkets and chemists to accept cash.

Australia's big banks and the cash industry are currently in talks to work out how to best support cash distribution. There is only one way to ensure cash is widely available to everyone who needs it - to force large and important retailers to accept cash. This cost-free initiative sends a signal that Australia is not going cashless and the banking and retail industries must act to support the distribution of cash.

Ireland's Finance Minister Michael McGrath said: "We must recognise the important role that cash continues to play in all our lives and this is a role I am determined to protect."

The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond tried to implement a cash guarantee in 2019 but was overruled by PM Rishi Sunak leading Natalie Sweeney, Chair of Cash Access UK ( a bank-owned cash distribution service) to warn that Britain could be "sleepwalking into a cashless society."

"Australia must follow Ireland, France, Europe and many states and cities in the USA and mandate cash acceptance," said Jason Bryce, spokesperson for the Cash Welcome campaign.

"Already too many people are having trouble accessing and using cash.

"The cash industry is in crisis because of the uncertainty around the future of cash in Australia.

"There is only one way to guarantee a strong cash distribution system - and that is to ensure that cash is widely available and used in the community," said Jason Bryce.

"Retailers selling food and essential groceries must accept cash to ensure that everyone is included in our economy and all communities have cash available when required."

"My petition now has over 160,000 signatures and is growing every day - without the big marketing budget of the banks."

https://www.change.org/BankingAndCashGuarantee

"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers must not allow Australia to sleepwalk into a cashless society," said Jason Bryce.

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