BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan) Kenya will on October 16, 2019 migrate from Resolution 818g to the NewGen ISS (New Generation IATA Settlement Scheme) Passenger Sales Agency Rules under Resolution 812.
According to Head, IATA Customer Service Center, MAD Ms Sara Hernández Horlock, the NewGen Programme will create more flexible, secure and customer centric BSP for both travel agents and airlines.
The system, she further said, has three components which are;
- New Agency Accreditation models ( GoLite, GoStandard and GoGlobal);
- An enhanced risk management framework, including the Remittance Holding
Capacity (RHC) which establishes a maximum threshold for Agent’s outstanding BSP Cash sales; and
- IATA EasyPay, a new and optional e-wallet solution for payment of tickets through the BSP.
The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) has been at the forefront in informing and educating its members on the new system.
KATA has this year reached out through industry meetings in various parts of the country in a bid to have the members informed on the transition.
The Association in partnership with IATA Nairobi Office have also scheduled NewGen ISS and IBSP Workshop to be held on July 29, 2019 at the Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi. This is part of the preparations towards the transition later this year.
The program has already been rolled out in several countries in the world including neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania and is expected to deliver faster, safer and more cost effective and relevant financial settlement services and solutions to airlines and travel agents that rely on the IATA Settlement Systems (ISS).
Speaking at a previous event, KATA Board Chairman Mr Mohammed Wanyoike said, “We need to prepare adequately for this transition in order to make the migration seamless. That is why KATA CEO Mr Nicanor Sabula and I will travel to learn more from Nigeria, who are already on NewGen ISS. We hope to bring back valuable lessons from this trip”.
With the implementation of Resolution 812, all agents will be transitioned to the GoStandard Accreditation with the ability to convert to the GoLite Accreditation. No action is required.
All Agents will also be assigned their individual Remittance Holding Capacity, Risk Status and any applicable Financial Security requirements under Resolution 812. These conditions will be notified in advance of the introduction of the new Resolution 812.
Furthermore, All Agents will be able to issue transactions using IATA EasyPay, the new e-wallet solution.
IATA urged all airlines and agents to download Resolution 812 to familiarise themselves with the new rules and requirements before the roll out date in October.
For more information on NewGen ISS and the different programme components, please visit our website at http://newgeniss.iata.org/.
