WASA bill payment thru' mobile opens
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
FE Report
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Monday officially launched its bill payment system through mobile phone, with a view to reducing systems loss and boost up revenue collection.
Engineer Golam Mostafa, Dhaka WASA board chairman, inaugurated the water and sewerage bill payment service through mobile styled 'Moneybag Dhaka WASA' at WASA Bhaban in the capital.
David Lee, chief operating officer (COO) of Citycell, Liakat Ali, managing director (acting) of Dhaka WASA, Mahbubur Rahman, deputy managing director (admin) of Dhaka WASA and Syed Golam Ahmad, deputy managing director (finance) of Dhaka WASA, also spoke at the inaugural ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Golam Mostafa said the standard of existing water and sewerage bill payment of WASA is poor in terms of revenue earning and fast services.
The WASA will provide bill payment services through approved point of sales (POS) of Citycell, he said.
"We will start bill payment through short message service (SMS) by which the WASA clients can pay bills from home," said Golam Mostafa.
He called on officials concerned to take necessary steps for bringing other mobile phone operators under the programme as soon as possible.
Primarily Citycell services will be available for 16 hours a day though they have a 24-hour service system due to some problems in the WASA.
Golam Mostafa however hoped to provide the bill payment service to 1.5 million citizens of Dhaka.
The WASA signed an agreement in June this year with Citycell to launch the self bill payment programme through mobile.
Another contract will be signed with Robi on 28 October next.
Jafrin Hossain, senior systems analyst of Dhaka WASA, said from now on the customers can pay their bills in the POS with Citycell logo by showing their copy of bill.
"Very soon the customers will be able to pay their bills through SMS," the official said.
Primarily customers of six non-outsource zones will get the SMS and POS facilities. Gradually the six outsource zones will also come under the service, said the WASA official.
The customers having internet connection can access their monthly water bills over the internet and download it from the website www.dwasa.org.bd, the official added.
Mahbubur Rahman said the systems loss has to be reduced by introducing modern services to increase revenue collection.
"Now the systems loss in revenue collection is 30 to 35 per cent which needs to be reduced to 25 per cent by 2014" he said.
WASA customers can pay their bills through 160 branches of banks in Dhaka and Narayanganj.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Monday officially launched its bill payment system through mobile phone, with a view to reducing systems loss and boost up revenue collection.
Engineer Golam Mostafa, Dhaka WASA board chairman, inaugurated the water and sewerage bill payment service through mobile styled 'Moneybag Dhaka WASA' at WASA Bhaban in the capital.
David Lee, chief operating officer (COO) of Citycell, Liakat Ali, managing director (acting) of Dhaka WASA, Mahbubur Rahman, deputy managing director (admin) of Dhaka WASA and Syed Golam Ahmad, deputy managing director (finance) of Dhaka WASA, also spoke at the inaugural ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Golam Mostafa said the standard of existing water and sewerage bill payment of WASA is poor in terms of revenue earning and fast services.
The WASA will provide bill payment services through approved point of sales (POS) of Citycell, he said.
"We will start bill payment through short message service (SMS) by which the WASA clients can pay bills from home," said Golam Mostafa.
He called on officials concerned to take necessary steps for bringing other mobile phone operators under the programme as soon as possible.
Primarily Citycell services will be available for 16 hours a day though they have a 24-hour service system due to some problems in the WASA.
Golam Mostafa however hoped to provide the bill payment service to 1.5 million citizens of Dhaka.
The WASA signed an agreement in June this year with Citycell to launch the self bill payment programme through mobile.
Another contract will be signed with Robi on 28 October next.
Jafrin Hossain, senior systems analyst of Dhaka WASA, said from now on the customers can pay their bills in the POS with Citycell logo by showing their copy of bill.
"Very soon the customers will be able to pay their bills through SMS," the official said.
Primarily customers of six non-outsource zones will get the SMS and POS facilities. Gradually the six outsource zones will also come under the service, said the WASA official.
The customers having internet connection can access their monthly water bills over the internet and download it from the website www.dwasa.org.bd, the official added.
Mahbubur Rahman said the systems loss has to be reduced by introducing modern services to increase revenue collection.
"Now the systems loss in revenue collection is 30 to 35 per cent which needs to be reduced to 25 per cent by 2014" he said.
WASA customers can pay their bills through 160 branches of banks in Dhaka and Narayanganj.