Say goodbye to long queues and use e-Pay Punjab app for digital payments
With rapidly growing global trends in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digitalized advancement, significant changes have been witnessed in the banking sector where the transactions are now being shifted from cash-based to electronic-based for ease of the people. Imagine! standing in long queues and waiting for your turn in scorching weather or even during downpour days to pay your taxes and challans. This would definitely give you a strong shiver. However, a step towards embracing Fintech trends has transformed almost everyone into smart consumers by utilizing digital services.
Observing the suffering of citizens, the Government of Punjab realized the dire need of a rather digitized efficient payment system to provide comfort to the masses. This led to the initiation of e-Pay Punjab, a 24/7 online payment platform jointly initiated by Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Punjab Finance Department in October 2019.
e-Pay Punjab app, a gateway switch for all business to government (B2G) and public to government (P2G) payments, is presently entertaining 24 services of 11 various government departments. These departments include Excise and Taxation Department, Board of Revenue, Punjab Revenue Authority, Industries Department, Transport Department, Lahore Transport Department, School Education Department, Punjab Police, Irrigation Department, Punjab Public Service Commission and Labour Department.
This user-friendly app assists consumers to deposit their fee, taxes and levies through accessible mediums while on the go. You just need to download/install the app from Google Play Store and iOS, sign up, provide required credentials and select a service (Levy Facility). The app will generate a unique 17-digit PSID number for payment through different Alternative Delivery Channels (ADC), which include internet banking, mobile banking, ATM, Over the Counter (OTC), mobile wallets and TELCO Network Agents. The PSID is identifiable by the banking network operating in Pakistan and can be used on multiple banking channels for payment of taxes. The system further links all the banks with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) through 1-link interconnectivity.
If you are traveling out of the city and receive a traffic challan, what will you do? Instead of allowing stress to ruin your mood just simply log on in to your e-Pay Punjab app and pay the challan in a blink of an eye to avoid any inconvenience. You can utilize this app for the payments related to Punjab Public Service Commission fee, Vehicle Token Tax, Vehicle Transfer, Route Permit Fee, Vehicle Fitness Certificate, e-Stamping, Property Tax and to name some. In case, you want to register your business or deposit school and college registration fee, this app offers you drop-down options under Industries Department and School Education Department bars respectively.
What else would one want when you have such a state-of-the-art app to save your time and make your transaction swiftly.
Considering mobile phones as a low-cost and convenient way for women to link with banks, this app has also reduced gender-gap by enabling them to manage their payments independently. It has further boosted their involvement in the formal economy. They are no longer dependent on others to help pay their taxes, challans etc since e-Pay Punjab has assisted them in making payments from the comfort of their homes.
While sharing their personal experiences, general masses expressed that before the implementation of the e-Pay Punjab app, they had to go through a lot of efforts and exertion for basic tasks as these payments were equally time-consuming and tiresome. They were bound to stand in crowded lines for hours despite harsh weather conditions.
With over 2.1 Million App Downloads, e-Pay Punjab has generated a whopping PKR 100 Billion Revenue, making a significant contribution to Pakistan’s economy. To date, over 19.4 Million Transactions have been carried out through e-Pay Punjab. Hence, the government through Fintech trends like e-Pay Punjab is paving a promising and secure future. Keeping in view the increasing popularity of the app, the government envisions to establish more opportunities to facilitate the people in a better way.
Amid the everyday hassle of life, e-Pay Punjab is serving as a safe haven for the citizens by empowering them with an innovative and convenient system that is also generating e-receipts on spot. So, forget about standing in long queues and make your life easy by using secure payment procedures such as e-Pay Punjab and refrain from being tricked by illegal financial transactions, middlemen or agent mafias, who are roaming around in thirst to bluff the innocent.
By Tabinda Khurshid