DHAKA, Jan 11, 2020 (BSS) – With a view to enabling the people to get
different government services including utility bills and fees payment
facilities and e-commerce through digital means, the access to information
(a2i) introduced eight major digital public services and platforms last year.
In line with the government’s vision to transform the country into a
‘Digital Bangladesh’, the A2I under ICT Division with the support of the
Cabinet Division and UNDP Bangladesh launched those services.
Three digital one-stop services — ekSheba, ekPay and ekShop — with the
theme ‘contribution of digital Bangladesh: All solutions under one umbrella’
were launched to enable the people to get different government services,
utility bills and fees payment facilities and e-commerce.
Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy inaugurated the
three digital one-stop services at an event organized by the Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) Division at ICT Tower in city’s Agargaon area
on October 20 last year, a2i officials told BSS today.
The one-stop service center- ekSheba- will act as the platform for
providing all digital government services. Currently, a total of 172
government services of 7,149 offices have been brought under the platform
while service seekers have been divided into three categories — citizens or
institutions, businessman, government officials-employees, the officials
said.
Gradually, all services (around 2,800) will be connected to the digital
platform, which would play a vital role in establishing e-governance by
creating ways for online applications and receiving services.
Any service seeker will be able to submit an online application by paying
the fees online and check the latest status of the application as well.
The ‘ekPay’ brings the benefits of paying numerous bills from a single
platform. It is a one-stop payment platform for easy and hassle-free payment
of utility bills, educational fees and all other fees.
By registering with the ekPay’s website or mobile app, all people of the
country can pay their required utility bills at any time through debit card,
credit card, mobile banking, digital wallet, internet banking, digital centre
or any agent point.
With around 99 million internet users and an increasing GDP, Bangladesh is
holding a big possibility for the expansion of e-commerce industry.
The ‘ekShop’ is one of the first rural assisted e-commerce platforms in
Bangladesh, which would be able to quickly deliver essential products to the
doorsteps of people.
Through ‘ekShop’, products ranging from T-shirt to television can easily
be bought and sold, rural producers can easily upload specifications and
photos of products to all e-commerce sites and buyers of different e-commerce
sites would be able to purchase those products.
In addition, over a million essential products, including medicines,
books, clothing, will be accessible from any part of the country. More than
4000 Union Digital Centers are connected with ekShop.
On the other hand, there are various services that were launched by
Service Innovation Fund (SIF), such as: developing ‘telephone based home
palliative care service’ in the ‘Centre for Palliative Care’ in Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU); introducing online General Diary,
and Lost and Found service; services to address the mental health issues of
women; introducing online KAIZEN training; and, launching the e-cataloging
and standards sale for Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).
To make the palliative care service popular in Bangladesh, the telephone –
based Home Palliative Care Service was introduced, which will provide the
patients with services such as: website portal, hotline service, video-call
service, home care, and ensuring essential medicines for the patients.
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a
serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the
symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life
for both the patient and the family.
The online General Diary (GD) service was introduced by SIF, and the lost
and found service was also included. It will simplify the whole system of GD
while the delivery of the final report will be faster.
Meanwhile, an online platform for improving the mental health of women was
launched. Along with providing necessary information for ensuring sound
mental health, this online platform will engage the elderly women into
different social activities.
To increase the production of Jute mills in the country, the KAIZEN, a
concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all
functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line
workers, was necessary.
SIF has provided the KAIZEN training through online and made the access
easier for everyone in the jute industry.
Meanwhile, the online catalog was launched by Bangladesh Standards and
Testing Institution (BSTI) which allows the entrepreneurs and the local
businessmen to know the prices and purchase the standard one.
Policy advisor of a2i, Anir Chowdhury said, “Nearly 700 services have been
digitalized in different ministries and government offices so far with a view
to digitizing the country”.
Coordinating with the ICT Division, different ministries and government
offices, a2i is assisting the government to establish Digital Bangladesh, he
added.
“In continuation to this, we are working to digitize all the government
services (more than 2800) within 2023”, the a2i official said.