7 [35]  There are many reasons why Swedes are choosing to abandon cash. 14 One example is the rapid emergence of the Swish mobile app. Even if we welcome technological developments and the increased competition on the payment market, there is a risk that developments will move too fast. There are many people who have problems in using digital methods of payment, and when fewer and fewer businesses and restaurants accept cash, some people will experience problems. Cash is no longer easy to use. Many shops and restaurants will no longer accept cash, and it is difficult to deposit and withdraw cash, especially if one is dependent on doing so over the counter and not through an ATM. I, and the Riksbank, have long pointed out that the legal position of cash needs to be strengthened. 15 Some form of activities should be obliged to always accept cash, such as the medical sector and pharmacies. Similarly, it should be possible to deposit both banknotes and coins, and to do so over the counter. There is currently around one million people in Sweden who have limited access to digital technology or who have limited capacity to use it. Many elderly people are dependent on help from a person and therefore have no use for services based on using ATMs. This is a large and growing problem that needs to be resolved at a political level. It is also important for Sweden's crisis preparedness that the use of cash does not fall too low.
If cash is needed as a means of payment in a crisis, it must also be possible to use it in normal circumstances. The Riksbank will continue to work to reinforce the position of cash. E-krona can complement cash without major consequences for financial stability and monetary policy In addition, the Riksbank has also been investigating for a few years now whether it would be possible to offer the general public a safe electronic alternative that could function in largely the same way as cash; an e-krona. This could be a means of ensuring that the general public in Sweden, which has had access to central bank money since the 17th century, can continue to do so even in a digital age. 16 The model we have had, where the Riksbank's cash has co-exited with private means of payment, such as deposits in bank accounts, has functioned well. By introducing an e-krona, we can ensure that the function that cash has historically had as anchor for payments can live on in a new technical form. An e-krona can, like cash, contribute to increased competition and robustness on the market by offering an alternative to private sector payment services. If the Riksbank is present in the market with its own supply of money to the general public, it will also be easier for the Riksbank to ensure that basic payment services are made available to all, including the vulnerable groups I mentioned earlier.