Statistics reveal a 23 percent increase over same period last year
UAE, October 9, 2013 – Recent statistics revealed by Dubai Smart Government show more than AED 4 billion was generated through ePay in the first nine months of 2013, which is a 23% increase, compared to the same period last year.
ePay enables customers to electronically pay their bills and settle dues for various government services electronically in a safe and secure environment that saves the time of customers and spares them the effort of visiting banks or concerned departments.
A total of AED 4,010,185,394 – through 3,314,067 transactions – was collected through ePay on behalf of 28 participating government entities by the end of September 2013 compared to AED 3.2 billion through 2,447,948 transactions in 2012, up by 35 per cent in terms of number of transactions. As shown by the figures, ePay is contributing to generating huge direct and long-term revenues in terms of government expenses.
Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai Smart Government, said: “These results clearly indicate a faster pace of eTransformation in Dubai as evidenced in the increasing adoption by customers of ePay as a preferred mode of payment to complete government transactions on one hand and in the confidence shown by customers in the efficiency and safety of this option on the other, thereby contributing to supporting and reinforcing the national economy. The positive effects of ePay are not limited to this but extend to environmental sustainability, which was called for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in his future vision of the UAE when he launched the “Green Economy for Sustainable Development” as a long-term national initiative.”
“We have made great strides towards smart government applications, specifically in financial dealings, which require trust and confidence from customers. We at Dubai Smart Government were able to enhance the assurance of customers as regards all the developments made to the gateway, whether in terms of increasing the security of the electronic payment system by adopting the 3-D Secure or in terms of providing open payment options for users via multiple channels,” Bin Humaidan said.
The ePay gateway allows individual and corporate customers to pay online for over 250 eServices provided by the participating entities, either through credit cards, direct debit from customer’s account in the five participating banks – Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Union National Bank – or the second generation of e-Dirham from the Ministry of Finance, which recently joined the gateway. A total of around AED 6 million through approximately 15,000 transactions was collected through e-Dirham since the link with it was activated in last June up to the end of September.
The ePay gateway has a smart feature that allows it to be linked with all the eServices of government departments, irrespective of the technologies and software used by these entities. It is also distinguished for its compatibility with all means of electronic payment: the Internet, kiosks, IVR, major credit cards, and direct debit.