AMMAN — The Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) on Tuesday officially announced the signing of an agreement with local company Madfoo3atCom for Electronic Payments to launch software enabling citizens to settle their private sector and government bills online.
Through the software eFAWATEERcom (meaning “your e-bills”), people with bank accounts will be able to see their bills the moment they are issued and can settle them online immediately whether through ATMs or through mobile or Internet banking, Maha Bahou, executive manager of the payment systems department at CBJ, told reporters.
Nasser Saleh, CEO and founder of Madfoo3atCom, said that the service, which is scheduled to be launched by late March or early April, will cover electricity and telephone bills.
“I expect water bills to be covered by the programme in a very short time after the soft launch,” Saleh told reporters.
Citizens will not pay any fees for settling their bills when using eFAWATEERcom, Bahou noted.
“When it comes to paying for government services such as taxes through the programme… there will be some fees on users depending on the volume of the amount to be paid,” she added.
All banks in Jordan will be connected to the software, which was developed by Jordanian company Madfoo3atCom for Electronic Payments.
eFAWATEERcom will allow beneficiaries to cover electricity, phone, water, education, healthcare, travel and tourism, e-Commerce and insurance bills, in addition to government fines, property taxes and other fees, subsequently ensuring “fast, low-cost transactions” for all involved parties.
According to Bahou, those wishing to benefit from the service will need to fill out a form at their banks with the number of their electricity and water meters, and details on the properties they own. Their bills will then be sent to them online by the end of each month.
“I expect the service to improve the collection of revenues for utilities, and private sector and government agencies. People will not have to go through the hassle of queuing or carrying cash. They can settle all bills anywhere,” she said.
Commenting on the deal, Yousef Hamidaddin, Oasis 500 CEO, noted that Madfoo3atCom is one of the companies that Oasis 500 invested in.
Since its launch, Oasis 500, an early stage and seed investment company, has invested in more than 65 start-ups in the ICT sector, said Hamidaddin.
