Payment platform ‘Government Pay’ to be introduced: President

• Digitalisation to be completed within three years 

By Ajith Siriwardana  

The government is planning to complete the digitalisation of government institutions within three years where a payment platform called ‘Government Pay’ will be introduced enabling people to make all payments due for the government from the mobile phone, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.  

 The President told a meeting in Kurunegala over the weekend that people will not have to visit post offices or banks to make payments to the government institutions once the payment platform was introduced.  

He said the platform will facilitate people to pay even spot fines issued by the police from their mobile phones.  

“These facilities have been introduced in other countries long ago. But, our rulers have failed to bring in such technologies. We will introduce the digital identity card also in a short time. India has offered to provide a grant of Rs. 10 billion for the project. The government also has to allocate Rs. 9 billion,” he said.  

The President said the government is working towards cutting down state expenses where the President’s budgetary allocations have been cut down by 50 percent this year and added that he would try to save even the allocated funds.  

He said he only used state funds for the air tickets during his recent visits to India and China and added that he returned the stipend paid by the state for the President during a overseas visit.  

“Every state official, President, and Ministers get a stipend from the government when they engage in official visits abroad. Most politicians are eager to visit overseas because of this allowance. I did not use it at all and I returned it once I came back on both tours,” he said.  

The President said the opposition claimed that the NPP government would not be able to maintain strong diplomatic ties and pointed out that the government has been able to maintain strong ties with most countries.  

He said he was expecting to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in mid-February and was expecting to discuss fuel and gas supplies.