Government Digital Payment Platform (GovPay)

The Government Digital Payment Platform (GDPP), branded as GovPay, is an initiative aimed at improving citizen-government interactions and streamlining payment processes for various government services in Sri Lanka. This project aims to establish a centralized digital platform, serving as a convenient "Citizen’s One Stop Shop" for the Government Services, catering to individuals and businesses.

GovPay currently facilitates inter-bank payments for citizens to access and make online payments, ensuring convenience and accessibility. In modernizing revenue collection processes, GovPay ensures enhanced control, accuracy, security, and transparency in financial transactions for government organizations, thereby facilitating more efficient and accountable financial management. This contributes to the optimization of government service delivery by boosting efficiency in financial transactions, and reducing administrative burdens, and costs, leading to more time-effective and cost-efficient services for the public.

The objectives of the GovPay project encompass establishing a centralized digital platform for citizens to make online payments for government services, enabling government organisations to collect revenue digitally in a secure, transparent, and efficient manner, supporting data-driven decision-making processes to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery, and improving overall efficiency at government organisations to offer more productive and cost-effective services to the public.

Stakeholders/Partners involved in the GovPay project include, the Ministry of Digital Economy, ICTA, LankaPay Private Limited, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Commercial Banks of Sri Lanka, and various Government Organizations.

The outcomes of the GovPay project include enhanced government-to-citizen service delivery, increased accuracy and transparency in financial transactions, and improved efficiency through streamlined payment processes.

GovPay also has significant economic, environmental, and social impacts. Economically, it enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of digital service delivery, resulting in cost savings for government institutes and reducing time and financial costs for citizens. Environmentally, GovPay contributes to sustainability by minimizing physical visits to government offices, reducing travel-related emissions, and decreasing paper usage through digitalization. Socially, GovPay promotes inclusivity by offering convenient access to government services, particularly benefiting rural and economically disadvantaged populations, thus fostering improved living standards and enhancing overall societal welfare.

There are nine (9) esteemed banks already partnered with the platform, namely; Hatton National Bank, Pan Asia Bank, Sampath Bank, Seylan Bank, DFCC Bank, Commercial Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Peoples Bank and NDB Bank, laying the foundation for smooth transactional experiences. As GovPay continues its journey, it is actively seeking collaborations with FinTech solutions and more banks, allowing citizens with accounts at these banking institutions to proceed with payments through the system.

Looking ahead, GovPay aims to expand its network by incorporating more institutes, thus ensuring broader accessibility and convenience for all users.