Government offices roll out electronic payments

BAGHDAD, August 11 — Al-Rafidain Bank announced on Friday that a number of government ministries and departments have switched to electronic transactions and activated systems to accept electronic payment for fees and services.

Bank officials released a statement which said:

Pursuant to government directives to apply the electronic payment system, POS devices will be used in state ministries and institutions and the private sector, for collecting bills and fees amounts from beneficiaries electronically by bank cards, and to enable those who wish to pay with cards.

The departments that will work with this procedure are: the Departments of the Ministry of Interior (Directorate of Police Martyrs Fund, Directorate of Passport, Affairs/BaghdadOffice of the Ministry); Departments of the Ministry of Education (General Directorate of Financial Affairs, General Directorate of Training and Educational Development, Directorate of Public, Private and Foreign Education, Directorate of Curriculum); Directorate General of Industrial Development; Karbala Health Department/Department Center; Diwan of the Shiite Endowment; Petroleum Products Authority; and Construction and Housing.

This service comes in accordance with the government’s program to promote the culture of electronic payment and reduce the use of paper money in commercial payment and collection operations, where points-of-sale and various electronic payment methods will be used to facilitate the collection of funds electronically in effective, reliable and flexible ways, in addition to contributing to adopting modern technological methods, simplifying procedures and improving the level of services provided. This will be achieved within a safe and transparent environment, as well as keep pace with the development of the electronic payment system.