SRI LANKA PORTS TO OFFER E-PAYMENTS BY 2012

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority will introduce its online billing and payment system by January 2012 as part of its investment drive to improve port productivity and efficiency.According to an official statement, the system will allow clients of the port to log-in via the internet and make payments with information being updated at the port system and customs along with the facilitating bank.  

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Customs introduced its latest electronic payment system software called ‘ASYCUDA World’, which will be fully implemented once it has undergone several test runs with clients. “Hopefully by January, there would be lesser people going to the port to make payments.

Since it is web-based, payments can be done from the convenience of their own homes and from any part of the island,” said Priyath Wickrama, chairman of SLPA. At present, State-owned Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has been working with customs and SLPA in upgrading their financial software. BOC is the first bank to introduce the e-portal with customs which will then be extended to other banks.

futuregov.asia