SANDAKAN: CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad (“CIMB Islamic” or “the bank”) and the Sabah Local Authorities yesterday officially launched their JomPAY electronic payment (“e-payment”) partnership which saw all the 23 Local Authorities using JomPAY for payment of assessment fees.

The launch ceremony took place at the Sabah Local Authority ICT Seminar 2016 here yesterday.

Datuk Seri Hj Hajiji Hj Noor, Minister of Local Government and Housing said, “The theme of today’s conference, ‘Strengthening the ICT Culture in Local Authorities Towards Smart Services’ reflects the current trends in Sabah’s public sector, which focuses on leveraging innovation to deliver better services.

“By using ICT to improve public sector service delivery, Sabahans will be able to enjoy better services from the Sabah Local Authorities.

“I am confident that the Local Authorities, by partnering with CIMB to offer e-payment facilities to the public, will continue to improve their services to enhance the reputation of the Sabah public sector, in line with the Sabah Government’s aspirations of encouraging innovation and creativity in executing state policies.”

The minister’s speech was delivered by Datuk Haji Zakaria Haji Mohd Edris, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing, who was accompanied by Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid, Deputy CEO of CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad and Siek Kar Teck, Director, Retail Payments Division, Malaysian Electronic Clearing Corporation Sdn Bhd (MyClear) at the launch ceremony.

Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid, Deputy CEO of CIMB Islamic Bank said, “We are proud to partner with the Sabah Local Authorities, all of whom took a quantum leap to embark on this JomPAY e-payments journey that will substantially increase operational efficiency, improve their collections and provide convenience for the State’s assessment payers. Being at the forefront of digital banking, CIMB Islamic is committed to support the Sabah government’s efforts in promoting e-payments, in line with Bank Negara’s call to reduce dependency on cash transactions, for greater economic efficiency.

Hendra Lembong, Group Head, Transaction Banking, CIMB Group said, “JomPAY is part of our full suite of Cash Management services offered through CIMB Islamic and we hope this will also encourage other Malaysian states to adopt e-payments and our Cash Management services which will, in turn, help to boost their efficiency and turnaround time.

“As part of the partnership, CIMB will also launch a six-month campaign on 1 October to promote awareness and adoption of JomPAY to all Sabahans.”

JomPAY is Malaysia’s national bill payment facility established and operated by MyClear as part of our efforts to develop e-payment eco-systems and infrastructure that enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of Malaysia’s financial system. By adopting JomPAY, the Local Authorities of Sabah are demonstrating their leadership in embracing e-payment innovations that make bill payment convenient, efficient and free,” said Siek Kar Teck, Director, Retail Payments Division, MyClear.

The benefits of JomPAY for consumers include:

* Convenience – customers can pay anytime, anywhere and from any bank
* Security – safer than cash and cheques
* Efficiency – no physical queuing for customers

The benefits of JomPAY to billers/service providers include:

* Automation and digitalisation of the collection process
* Consolidation of multiple banks to one Master Biller Bank, simplifying payment reconciliation
* Efficiency through less paperwork
* Cost effectiveness

CIMB’s leadership in executing the JomPAY system has been recognised through a slew of awards by the Malaysian e-Payments Excellence Awards (“MEAA”) 2016, an event that recognises contributions made by the business community in accelerating the development of e-payments in Malaysia: CIMB garnered awards for Best JomPAY Bank, JomPAY Innovation Award, Best Customer Experience for JomPAY (Corporate), and Best Customer Experience (DirectDebit).


Source : The Borneo Post Online / 28 September 2016