E-gov portal makes online payments available
By Nigar Orujova
The Electronic government portal in Azerbaijan now features a function for convenient online payment.
The Automated Payment Utility Service of the state payment portal is integrated into the e-government portal, says the Computer Information Center under the Communications and High Technologies Ministry.
The objectives of the project are to increase the use of non-cash payments, simplifying the process of budget payments, and the integration of e-government projects with the infrastructure of the national payment system.
Through integration the Azerbaijan Central Bank clearing system, payments are carried out in real time through the e-government portal.
Currently, the number of the state institutions connected to the portal includes the ministries of economy and industry, emergency situation, taxes, and internal affairs. Moreover, the system enjoys the services of the State Social Protection Fund, State Customs Committee, State Migration Service, and Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund.
In addition, the portal connects utilities and communications companies, operators of fixed and mobile communication.
The e-government portal is a key tool for supporting work with citizens and enterprises in the public and private sectors. It aims to reduce the number of documents requested from citizens, as different bodies will interact with each other electronically.
The e-government portal was launched in Azerbaijan in 2013. Currently, the portal offers about 400 e-services through 45 government agencies. Over one million citizens are active users of e-services of the state agencies.
Moreover, the e-government portal allows for the provision of e-services to citizens of foreign countries.
All services provided by Azerbaijani government agencies are expected to be online by 2020.
Moreover, the local municipalities will be connected to the Automated Payment Utility Service of the state payment portal in the next six months, said Vahid Gurbanli, the Deputy Director of the Department for the Payment Systems and Calculation of the Central Bank.
Now the municipalities have a greater need for access to a system of online payments, namely receiving payments for rendered services.
Technical readiness is required to connect municipalities to the state payment portal. After formation of the information systems, they will be ready to accept payments online, he added.
Earlier, the Taxes Ministry successfully implemented pilot projects on the use of electronic registration for the payment of municipal taxes in eight municipalities in the country.
The municipal taxes include the land tax on individuals, taxes on personal property, trade tax on construction materials of local importance, as well as tax on profits on enterprises and organizations in municipal property.
Moreover, Gurbanli said that students of paid faculties at state universities in Azerbaijan will soon be able to pay student tuition online via the state payment portal.
In addition, Azerbaijani citizens will be able to electronically obtain their personal data on utilities and other payments, said head of the Data Computing Center Nail Mardanov.
He said, at present, work is underway to create a database for such payments.
The service is primarily aimed at the elimination of disputes between service operators and citizens on the issue of payments.
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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar
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