Postal Dept ties up with Labour Ministry, NWSDB to expedite payments

by Naalir Jalaldeen

In a bid to expedite EPF payments and bill payments the Postal Department will launch a series of services . Post offices have been authorized to handle these payments. In addition loans given by the NSB will be expedited by the Postal Department.

Muslim Religious Affairs and Post Minister M.H.A. Haleem said.the Postal Department held discussions with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) with regard to the payment of water bills through post offices across the country. Modules in regard to this proposed program have already been prepared, he said.

NWSDB Assistant General Manager, Billing Piyal Pathmanatha said that the Postal Department had forwarded a proposal to this effect . The Board has not yet reached a decision as to whether post offices would handle bill payments, he said.

Minister Haleem said the Postal Department held discussions with EProvident Fund in the Central Bank to collect the EPF Payments through post offices in a massive scale.

He said that now EPF is collected through post offices in a small scale. When this program is expanded a large amount of commission can be earned by the Postal Department. As a result of networking the Postal Department is in the state of providing services which are provided by the private sector.

The Department also plans to pay the foreign remittances through post offices sent by the migrant to their relatives who have account in the NSB.

Now the technical process is nearing completion. We have held discussions with the NSB about the feasibility of providing this service, Minister said.

We also have planned to collect the loans of NSB through post offices. In the policy level they have agreed to do this service.

"We have to get the approval from the Attorney General's Department.. The only thing we have to do is get the approval of Attorney General's Department and on the completion of this process we plan to launch this service as soon as possible", the Minister said.

Assistant General Manager International Affairs, NSB Ajith Peiris said in the future customers can make use of this service through post offices.

"Through post offices NSB accounts can be opened. Money can be transacted. Migrant workers should send money to NSB accounts in post offices.

Then customers can collect the money through any post office across the country.

The Postal Department launched two types of new services jointly with private sector institutions last week at a ceremony held at Postal headquarters.

The Department officially launched reloading and distributing prepaid cards of Hutch, Etisalat and Airtel and collecting third party insurance premium on behalf of Ceylinco Insurance through the postal network across the country. Postal Services Minister M.H.A. Haleem was the chief guest, Ministry Secretary A. Abdul Majeed, Postmaster General D.L.P. Rohana Abeyratne, top ranking officers from the Postal Department and the top ranking officers from these institutions were present at the launch. "This is only an initiation, the Department hopes to introduce wide range of services along with other institutions in the future", the Minister said.