Simplification of Public Utility Bill Payment System

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Simplification of Public Utility Bill Payment
System

• Access to Information (A2I) Programme
• Chief Advisers Office
• Tejgaon, Dhaka

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Scenario 1
BPD 9th April
BPD 13th April
BPD 17th April
BPD 22th April
BPD Bill Payment Date
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Scenario 2
Working in Office without taking any leave to pay
utility bills
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What does turn the scenario 1 into scenario 2 ?
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What do citizen want electronically?
Hight Priority
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Public Utility Service Providers in Bangladesh

• Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)
• Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (DESA)
• Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO)
• Rural Electrification Board (REB)
• Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA)
• West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd.
• Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution
  Company Ltd.
• Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd.
• Jalalabad Gas T D System Ltd.
• Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB)

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How can we simplify the system

• Leveraging the existing ways
• For example
• Increasing no. of channels for over the counter
  payment
• Providing standing orders to banks for paying of
  constant bills (like Gas bills)
• Increasing the use of ATM, POS, Ready Cash etc.
• Making computerized customer ledger
• Having connectivity infrastructure around the
  nation
• Bill info and Downloadable bills on Internet
• Increase citizen awareness

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• Some initiatives by the
• Public Utility Service Providers

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Initiatives by PDB

• Bill payment in partnership with mobile operator
• Covered Area Chittagoan
• Cox's
  Bazar
• User Base 65,000
• Services provided
• Query present and past bill status instantly via
  SMS
• Assistance from the most modern and dedicated
  call center
• Mobile phone from any operator may receive
  instant notifications when bills are prepared by
  PDB
• Computerized database of all the customers
• Pre-paid meter system

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Initiatives by WASA

• Computerized water billing system for the
  customers
• Electronic bill payment with Ready Cash card
• WASA has a customer centric website
• Customer can place complain and provide feedback
  to WASA by this website
• Customer can also see his/her billing information
  from this site by using his/her account in this
  site
• Any one can print the bill from here and pay it
  in the bank

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Initiatives By Titas Gas

• Informative website from where application forms
  for new connection could be downloaded
• 2,500 customers are using Janata Bank Ready Cash
  Card to pay their bills
• Services tracking system for the new connection
  processing of industrial customers at Savar and
  Joydevpur
• Standard Chartered Bank to arrange the collection
  of gas bill through banks bill payment machine,
  direct deposit at Specialized bill payment
  centers auto-settlement process and through
  credit cards

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Initiatives by DESA

• Computerized bill
• Bill info at www.desa.gov.bd
• Bill payment through Auto-Debit system, Easy Pay
  machine and Ready Cash card
• One stop initiatives with BRAC bank.

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Initiatives by REB

• Computerized billing system
• There is also a central MIS
• REB already used the GIS for planning and
  distribution of electricity
• A project is being formulated to facilitate the
  connectivity between local centers and the
  central office
• SMS billing is in the pipeline

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Initiatives by BTTB

• BTTB has agreement with 28 banks (6 NCB 22 PCB)
  for bill collection, of these 13 banks have
  introduced electronic bill collection system in
  different forms
• Pre-paid Calling Card Service
• Automation of customers Ledger Management System
• Different forms are available in website
• Consumer can view and print the bill from the
  website (Piloted in one exchange)
• Pre-paid calling card for overseas voice call

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Recent Development

• Electronic and Digital Signature in ICT Act 2006
• Rules and Regulations are being formulated
• Working on establishing Payment Gateway by
  Bangladesh Bank
• Reaching of Internet connectivity in 64 districts
• 115 growth of Mobile Phone market in last year
• ATM/Debit card becoming more popular.

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The Way Forward

• Leveraging the existing facilities
• Establishment of Electronic Payment Gateway
• Equip all commercial banks to collect all kinds
  of public utility bills at all branches
• Matching the Bill Payment Cycles of the Public
  Utility Service Providers
• Creating Public Private Partnership with relevant
  stakeholders
• Creating alternative channels for bill payments
  (for e.g. Using mobile phones, Standing Bank
  Order)
• Creating awareness among citizens about the
  available channels of bill payment.

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• THANK YOU