Dubai eGovernment said it has signed an agreement with Dubai Civil Defence to confirm its inclusion in its ePay gateway in line with its efforts to offer a range of innovative services based on its ‘Customer First’ approach.

Announcing this at Gitex, Ahmed Bin Humaidan, director general of Dubai eGovernment, said the joining of Dubai Civil Defence to the ePay gateway further consolidates its portfolio of eServices even as several UAE service providers currently use the ePay platform for more than 200 eServices offered by government departments to their users.

The ePay gateway will enable customers of Dubai Civil Defence to more easily access the department’s services such as inspection, licensing, company and factory approvals, plans and engineering projects and training services, he noted.

Humaidan pointed out that the ePay gateway was steadily witnessing increasing adoption among government departments and entities in Dubai, especially after the 60 per cent increase in amounts collected through ePay in the first half compared to last year.

'This reflects both the increased adoption of ePay on one hand and the growing trust on the effectiveness and security offered by this service on the other,' he added.

Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, director general, Dubai Civil Defence, said, 'We are pleased to join the ePay gateway which will help us expand the scope of eServices available in the emirate.'

'The services of Dubai Civil Defence are no longer limited to fire fighting and prompt rescues during accidents and other emergencies but have extended to include avoiding risks before they happen through our electronic connection networks in the emirate.'

'This helps in protecting residents and offering them the highest level of preventive services in line with our goal of supporting government efforts for building an integrated knowledge-based digital society,' Al Matrooshi remarked.

Dubai eGovernment’s ePay gateway started with only three departments but the figure grew to 22 government and non-government entities by 2008.

Over 20 UAE service providers currently use the platform for more than 200 eServices offered by government departments to their users, such as Dewa bill payments, 'Salik' recharging, and traffic fine settlements. The ePay gateway incorporates several channels including credit cards, eDirham and Direct Debit.-TradeArabia News Service