The Ras Al Khaimah Department of Finance has partnered with RakBank as exclusive acquiring bank and STS PayOne as a leading regional provider of ePayment solutions, to launch RAK SmartPay as an integrated e-payment system in the Emirate.

This was announced during a press conference held yesterday (December 6) at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

The implementation of the project, which was developed on STS PayOne's SmartGate, will help in unifying RAK government’s revenue collection procedures instead of multiple payment systems that are burdensome to employees and customers. RAK SmartPay is a unified central payment platform that enhances accessibility to e-government services by providing several payment methods including credit and debit cards as well as digital wallets.

Yousef Ali Mohammed, general manager of the RAK Department of Finance, said, "This strategic project is part of our ongoing commitment to implement the best innovative smart solutions to meet the needs of beneficiaries and boost partnership and cooperation efforts."

"The project will serve as the main driver for advancing the financial performance of the RAK Government in line with international best practices and standards, while taking into consideration global competitiveness standards and keeping pace with the digital and smart transformation developments across different government services regionally and internationally," he added.

Ahmed bin Saeed Al Sayah, general manager of the eGovernment Authority in Ras Al Khaimah, said, "This strategic partnership with the Department of Finance, the main partner of this project, RakBank and STS PayOne, is in line with the vision of the authority to lead the way in offering smart services and integrated e-government solutions to improve the quality of life and the competitiveness of the smart transformation process in the Emirate. Our aim is to utilise the world-class technology that is currently being used in the digital payment space to provide the safest methods to ensure customer protection through the implementation of the global standards and offer a safe revenue for the government as well as reducing the revenue collection costs."

Peter England, CEO of RakBank, said, "RakBank is currently working to bolster cooperation with all government departments and entities in Ras Al Khaimah, especially the Department of Finance, with the goal of promoting convenient and secure e-payment solutions to simplify payment procedures for citizens and residents in our home Emirate. RAK SmartPay will be a significant stride in Ras Al Khaimah's financial and digital development that will contribute to achieving the emirate's sustainable economic development goals."

Janti Abdallah, general manager of STS PayOne, stated that SmartGate enables beneficiaries to monitor and improve revenue collection and forecasting. "We are delighted to enter into this strategic partnership with RAK Government’s Finance Department and EGA, which further reinforces our position as a leading regional provider of e-payment solutions. We are confident that this partnership will lead to many positive results in the future," he said.