Department of Economic Development seals agreement to adopt Dubai eGovernment's ePayment gateway

Dubai eGovernment's payment facility allows DED customers to check transaction and payment status, settle fines, and generate reports on business activity.

DED joins a growing list of government agencies that have fully adopted the ePay service, further boosting Dubai eGovernment's campaign to optimize adoption by all government departments of the highly efficient online facility. Dubai eGovernment's aggressive online adoption campaign has been carried out in line with the strategic plan of H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai who called for the establishment of a virtual government where customers do not need to physically attend government departments' offices to fulfill their transactions.

"Department of Economic Development is a critical government branch as it is responsible for charting the economic progress of the emirate. Dubai eGovernment is pleased that DED has adopted the ePay facility, considering financial transactions play a major part in its daily operations. Our network of government departments has grown tremendously and we are on track for our target of 90% online availability of all government departments' services," said Salem Al Shair, Director, eServices, Dubai eGovernment.

"The Department of Economic Development is constantly searching for innovative ways to enhance efficiency in the delivery of services. Dubai eGovnernment's ePay platform has been successfully integrated in the payment facility of many public and private establishments, and this has given us the confidence to adopt the electronic service. We believe this will
ultimately benefit our clients and improve the department's performance rating," said Mansoor Meftah, Head of eServices Section, DED.

Through the ePay gateway, DED customers can pay fines using credit cards, eDirham or direct debit; facilitate transactions, check status of applications and generate reports showing all companies operating selected businesses. Dubai eGovernment currently facilitates more than 2,000 online payment transactions a day and this figure is expected to increase with DED's entry.

The Dubai eGovernment payment gateway (ePay) has experienced a phenomenal growth in the last four years. In 2003, the facility recorded 205 transactions worth just a little under Dhs130,000. The figures skyrocketed to nearly Dhs53.5m from 74,711 transactions in 2006. In 2007, Dubai eGovernment is poised for another record performance with nearly 55,000 transactions worth over Dhs38m in the first half of the year alone, in pace for a projected year-end total of Dhs100m in transactions as more government departments hook up with the ePay facility.

In 2006, the Dubai eGovernment ePay service collected over Dhs55m from all service providers. So far in 2007, Dubai eGovernment has collected in excess of Dhs36m, and with DED joining ePay, this figure is expected to cross Dhs100m by the year end.

Other government departments that have already adopted Dubai eGovernment's ePay platform are Dubai Water and Electricity Authority, Land Department, Dubai Police, Electronic Total Quality Management, Dubai Civil Aviation, Dubai Courts, Department of Health and Medical Services, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Roads and Transport Authority. Dubai eGovernment also extends its eServices to other sectors, providing a virtual payment gateway for semi-government and private services using the most advanced internet payment methods for Tejari, Zakat Fund, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Polygon and Index Holding.