CBJ, Energy Ministry sign agreement on online bill payment

AMMAN — Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on Sunday signed an agreement  to implement the online bill payment services (eFAWATEERcom) to facilitate the online payment of the latter's services.

The agreement was signed by CBJ Governor Ziad Fariz and Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh.

Fariz said that signing the agreement represented a paradigm shift for the various economic sectors that can now use the e-payment system to pay for five of the services the Energy Ministry provides, highlighting that eFAWATEERcom now includes 33 government institutions offering 50 services.

 "We have been looking forward to this step for years as part of the digital transformation the country is witnessing and we hope in the future not only five services are e-paid, but the entire services the ministry provides," said Kharabsheh.

During the press conference, Fariz expressed CBJ's interest in technology, renewable energy, and their  related industries, citing a recent technology that CBJ might fund, which, he said, would change the concept of the electricity payment bills from a "mere bill into a list of information that helps users know how much they spend and how they can rationalise their consumption".

Kharabsheh said that the ministry's energy projects are mainly externally financed while the local funding is very limited.

"We seek to increase the national participation in the projects by allocating 35 per cent for the local added value in each project as the current value is eight per cent only," the minister said.

Fariz highlighted that the bank's funds for the renewable energy projects are mainly targeting small enterprises to help them develop more efficient and green energy systems.