Dubai waives commission on fees paid by direct debit – news
Dubai – The government of Dubai allows customers to pay fees for more than 1,200 services through the e-Pay portal.
Customer payments of government service fees by credit card continue to occupy the largest share of government-approved smart payment channels. – Photo file
Dubai’s Ministry of Finance (DoF) announced on Sunday that it will waive the commission on the payment of all government transaction fees that customers incur when paying their current bank and savings account fees, via the Dubai smart portal (e-Pay).
The DoF said that no commission would be collected when government customers pay the service charges of any government entity in Dubai through the e-Pay portal, along with the direct debit, confirming that “commission collection is now invalid.” .
“Exceeding Dh 150 million per year, the DoF will bear the costs of commissions paid to authorized collectors of government royalties through smart channels, on behalf of clients, whether individuals or businesses,” said Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of the DoF.
“Symbolizing the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, we want to encourage digital transformation and increase customer happiness. “
Customer payment of government service fees by credit card continues to occupy the largest share of government-approved smart payment channels, said Jamal Hamed Al Marri, executive director of the central accounts sector of the DoF.
“This is attributed to the ease of use of credit cards and the privileges that banks offer to cardholders. We have found that many clients, on the other hand, wish to pay government transaction fees through direct debit cards linked to their bank accounts, both current and therefore we decided to waive the commission which was imposed on the use of direct debit cards, in order to encourage customers and offer them more payment options, â€added Al Marri.
“This step supports the demand for smart payment channels, especially as the government of Dubai will go completely paperless next December, to meet the goals of Dubai’s paperless strategy,” he said.
Dubai’s paperless strategy was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, in February 2018 with the aim of digitizing all internal and external government transactions and making them without paper.
The DoF and the Dubai Digital Authority intend, later this year, to make the smart payment service available by linking the e-Pay portal with the central bank of the UAE’s direct debit platform, which includes more than 14 banks.
The Dubai government allows customers to pay fees for more than 1,200 services through the e-Pay portal, which is operated by the Dubai Digital Authority and is subject to oversight by the DoF. Payments can be made by credit cards and direct debit cards from bank accounts, in addition to the “noqodi†electronic wallet.