IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Slowly but surely Cyprus is entering the digital age of commerce, but experts say it has a long way to go before it mirrors what is happening in places like China.

Two months ago, Cyprus took baby steps towards entering the new digitalized era in trying to catch up with the rest of the world.

Oman's Ministry of Interior has extended until September 28 the deadline for eligible voters to get their identity cards suitably configured to enable them to cast their ballots electronically in the upcoming Majlis al Shura elections.

Since the start of the year, mobile vans of the Ministry have been making the rounds of government establishments, provincial offices and population centres across the sultanate in a bid to encourage voters to suitably upgrade their ID cards for the country's first electronic ballot.

It is mandatory by law for businesses to submit an electronic invoice when supplying goods or services to the Danish government. This regulation creates a barrier to the 300,000 small and medium size enterprises which are mostly relying on paper-based invoicing. “Most of the existing solutions for e-invoicing have been too complex and costly to be viable alternatives for smaller businesses,” explained Lippert

Every business can agree that, despite the challenging circumstances, COVID-19 also brought with it an overwhelming real-time use case for digital services.

Despite many of these solutions being around for several years, entire industries across every geography were caught digitally unprepared when the virus arrived, putting them in an urgent predicament as the crisis unfolded. How do you continue to efficiently transact with customers when they can't reach you in person and you're not set up to accept payments online?

Last November the Interior Ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information developed a mechanism of payment through the "E-government" website.

The traditional practice of paying fines foresees the necessity to stand in two lines - at a bank and the subdivision of administrative practice.

Ein wesentlicher Bestandteil zur Realisierung von E-Government ist der Einsatz einer sicheren Zahlungsform im Internet zur Leistung der anfallenden Gebühren und Abgaben. Zur Lösung dieses Problems greift nun die österreichische Verwaltung auf den von den österreichischen Banken entwickelten eps e-payment standard zurück.

Difficult to understand why this public-private solution has not spread to more than some half a dozen countries (not a big source of income for banks of course - more a question of better customer service and taking responsibility for speeding up e-government. Technology vendors naturally try to sell a separate tool for every purpose - but endusers prefer familiar ones.

The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources said under the scheme, being implemented in cooperation with a local bank, citizens and residents could pay bills and fees for all services rendered by the ministry through a credit card (Visa, MasterCard and Diners Club).

The committee has ensured the paying of fees in e-form in real time, as well as security of transactions and individual data as continued operations to execute the presidential decree as of May 23, 2011 on .'Some measures in the sphere of rendering electronic government services', the report said.

Estonia is often cited as a showcase example of what ‘e-government’ should be like

What is the most advanced digital society in the world? America? Britain? Or Germany? No. The answer is a small little-known country in Europe, Estonia.

In fact, Estonia has grabbed a lot of attentions worldwide in recent years, especially after its innovative – perhaps also a little bit controversial to some – digital citizenship initiative to allow everyone in the world has the potential to virtually become an Estonian so people can set up business online more easily, in particular for market entry in Europe Union, of which Estonia is a member nation.

The service enables both clients and non-clients, whether individual or corporate and including both public and private to pay their taxes and customs dues through the bank's network of 70 branches spread across Egypt.

Customers, whether individuals or companies - including the public and private sector - can benefit from the new service through the bank's network of 70 branches spread across Egypt.

The Fawry network and service of the same name, enables Egyptians to conveniently receive all their bills and pay them securely through a single, unified electronic network that is integrated with existing Bank payment channels such as online banking systems, ATM machines, mobile banking systems, call centers and Integrated Voice Response (IVR) systems.

E-finance is the new Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) service provider in Egypt. E-Finance is a joint venture created between National Investment Bank, Raya Holding, National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, and Egyptian Banks Company (EBC).

New government services that have become available online

Egypt’s public e-bills grew 250% to reach EGP 4 billion per month in 2020, up from EGP 1 billion last year, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said in a December 30th emailed statement.

He attributed the jump to the new government services that have become available online to encourage citizens to use e-payment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

E-finance is the new Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) service provider in Egypt. E-Finance is a joint venture created between National Investment Bank, Raya Holding, National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, and Egyptian Banks Company (EBC).

Zurzeit hat sich im E-Commerce noch kein einheitliches Bezahlsystem durchgesetzt. Die Festlegung auf ein solches System sei auch nicht sinnvoll, erklärt Walter Schrotta, Geschäftsführer von MediaWerkstatt Consulting, im Gespräch mit pressetext.austria. Welches Bezahlsystem für einen Online-Händler attraktiv ist, hänge sehr vom Angebot bzw. der jeweiligen Dienstleistung ab.

There is no doubt that banks play significant roles in the economy of a nation. Banks are considered indispensable elements in the economies of all market-oriented nations, which depend on the efficient operation of complex and delicately balanced systems of money and credit. Therefore, the economic well-being of any nation is tied to the advancement, as well as the development of its banking industry.