Partnership between Bank Asia, Payoneer to help earn forex

Bank Asia Limited has partnered with another leading Online Payment Gateway Service (OPGS) provider-- Payoneer Inc. USA-- to facilitate Bangladeshi freelancers receive their payments in a quick, easier and cheaper way.
Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman formally launched the service at a city hotel Thursday.
The launching ceremony was attended, among others, by A Rouf Chowdhury, chairman of Bank Asia, Scott H. Galit, CEO of Payoneer, Patrick De Courcy , its regional head in Asia Pacific, AM Nurul Islam, vice chairman of the bank, Rumee A Hossain, chairman of its executive committee, Shameem Ahsan, president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), Md. Mehmood Husain, President and Managing Director (MD) of Bank Asia, Md. Ahsan Ullah, Executive Director of BB and Zia Arfin, SVP and head of international division at the bank.
Earlier in March, 2012, the Bank Asia also ventured with 'Payza' in rendering the online payment gateway service. Payoneer is here in Bangladesh for the first time.
At present, officials said, about 250,000 freelancers are involved in exporting their IT services and earning foreign currencies.
"The partnership between Bank Asia and Payoneer will ease the freelancers' efforts to reap their hard earned foreign exchange," BB Governor Dr Rahman said.
OPGS provider system plays an important role to bring small amount of foreign exchange, earned against IT services exported by the freelancers, he said.
Citing different BB initiatives supporting the IT freelancing and such payment, Dr Rahman said, "These initiatives of liberalising foreign exchange transactions are contributing towards creating business friendly environment for service exporters, particularly for the freelancers."
In terms of earnings, Bangladesh already ranked the seventh among 186 countries, where online jobs are outsourced, he said.
    md.ali.du@gmail.com