Daccanomics
Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy launched three digital one-stop service platforms — Eksheba, Ekpay, and Ekshop to enable people to get different government services and pay utility bills and fees also with the ability to shop from the comfort of home. These online services were launched yesterday to make life easier and services faster.
Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy launched the platforms in a ceremony organized by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) division at the ICT Tower in Dhaka. These platforms were developed by the Access to Information (a2i) program under the ICT division. By 2021, the government plans to deliver the majority of the citizen services through the mobile phone or union digital centers, said Joy at the launch, report BSS.
Ekpay is an all-in-one payment platform where citizens will be able to pay all kinds of utility bills, tuition fees for education, and other government payments without any hassle. Currently, EkPay is offering bill payment solutions to over 50 assisted agents and more than 50,000 syndicated agents. Some 15 banks have already been integrated with the platform and more than 30 service providers are currently allowing their customers to pay bills with their cards, and bank accounts including internet banking, and mobile financial services, among other options.
Where the government is helping you with your payment services they are also providing you a place to spend your money. Ekshop is an e-commerce marketplace for buying and selling thousands of products from the ease of your home. One-stop shopping site where you can compare products between your favorite brands and websites. All brought under one roof. Anyone can upload their product information after getting listed on the platform, while buyers can also purchase products from popular online shopping sites.
Almost every leading e-commerce platform is now listed with the platforms while about 10 lakh products are being showcased. Users will also get support from the government’s union digital centers to buy and sell their products. The platform has logistics and payment facilities incorporated, so it will be easy the get any kind of online shopping-related support from here.
Some key Features of ek Shop
- All in One Shop: There are numerous types of 500000 products available in ek Shop. Nationwide this is the largest volume of products that can be offered to customers through one single website.
- Commission: Entrepreneurs receive a commission at the end of every month for their each ordered goods.
- Last-Mile Delivery: ek Shop offers the privilege of delivering goods to the last mile citizen anywhere in Bangladesh.
- Free Delivery: ek Shop provides free shipping and delivery facility to every Union Digital Center all over Bangladesh.
- Instant Payment: Brought the cash on delivery facility to the union level.
The government is planning to take this e-commerce platform abroad. Within a short time, this service will be launched in Singapore, Nepal, and 21 other countries, said a2i officers.
Joy also launched an online service delivery gateway Eksheba, which has 167 government services on board, and a2i has targeted to place more than 3,000 services here.
Using this platform users can browse all government websites, apply for online services and verify other government services. Any fees or charges related to the services can be paid directly from the platform, a2i officials added.
In the same program, Joy also unveiled the digital municipality services system to provide five citizen services in Mymensingh City Corporation and nine municipalities under the pilot program.
The government has targeted to reach 300 municipalities by 2021. Joy went on to term the launch of the digital services as ‘building blocks’ to implementing the Digital Bangladesh vision.
Bangladesh has moved up to the 115th spot in the e-government development index of the United Nations among 193 countries. Ten years ago Bangladesh’s position was 162nd.
He also expressed his optimism that the country would be able to move another 50 notches ahead in the next five years in the e-government index.
