Sri Lanka has launched GovPay, a new online payment platform designed to streamline digital transactions for government services.
GovPay was developed by the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and LankaPay under the oversight of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), with support from the Ministry of Digital Economy.
The platform aims to modernise revenue collection, improve transparency, and enhance digital governance.
GovPay allows citizens and businesses to make secure payments for taxes, fines, utility bills, educational fees, and other government-related transactions via banks and digital wallets.
The platform initially integrates 16 government institutions, with plans to expand in two phases, adding 30 more by April 2025.
Twelve commercial banks, including Bank of Ceylon, Cargills Bank, Commercial Bank, DFCC Bank, Hatton National Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank, NTB Bank, Pan Asia Bank, Peoples Bank, Sampath Bank, and Seylan Bank, have joined GovPay to facilitate payments.
Fintech applications such as HelaPay and iPay are also integrated, expanding digital payment options.
The initiative seeks to streamline financial transactions, reduce cash handling, and enhance cybersecurity while improving efficiency and minimising fraud risks in government payments.
The long-term goal is to unify all government institutions under the platform.
Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik