Mandalay unveils easier way to pay water, other bills

89249101_1090450417983923_8927928675446292480_n Photo credit - Mandalay Mayor U Ye Lwin's facebook page

18 MAR 2020 - Source: Myanmar Times - Mandalay city residents can now pay municipal bills online, such as water and electricity, the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) said.

The committee introduced the Mandalay Smart Pay, or MSP Wallet app, in partnership with the government-owned Yadanabon Bank and 2C2P Co Ltd. Payments that can be made through the MSP Wallet include property taxes, land taxes, water and electricity charges, and rubbish collection fees.

The programme is part of the city's Smart City project, which the MCDC has been implementing for the past two years. Mandalay has already automated its traffic control system and installed a GPS system on rubbish trucks to boost efficiency. It has also implemented an automatic water meter-reading system. 

Mandalay Mayor U Ye Lwin said that people using the MSP Wallet will pay only the exact amount of the bill, unlike when they pay at offices, which are sometimes unable to give them the exact change.

He said, "Smart Pay provides 24-hour service via a QR code, and we don't collect transaction fees, unlike other online payment apps."

MSP Wallet can also be used to make purchases at convenience stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, and to pay parking fees and public toilet fees.

Bills with QR codes will be issued in two months, which will allow people to pay them by scanning the QR code any time of the day or night, U Ye Lwin said.

The Myanmar Central Bank will allow people to pay up to K500,000 (US$350) at a time, three times a day.

Users can top-up their accounts at township administrative offices, branches of AYA Bank and Yadanabon Bank, and convenience stores, he said.

"2C2P, which is a globally recognized company, is providing all the technology needed. Millions of dollars flow through its digital platform, and it has reliable security," he said.

U Ye Myat Thu, head of the Smart City project, said his office will soon issue a type of QR code that everyone in Myanmar would be able to use at most government departments.

"We've urged all the shops in the municipal area to open accounts so that they can accept payments through the QR code," U Ye Myat Thu said.

Ko Kyaw Soe, a local resident, said he was excited about using the new service. "It's hard to have the exact change when we pay electric and water bills, and it's time-consuming," he said. – Translated 


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