Simplification of Public Utility Bill
Payment System
Access to Information (A2I) Programme
Chief Adviser’s Office
Tejgaon, Dhaka
Scenario 1:
BPD: 9th April
BPD : 13th April
BPD :17th April
BPD :22th April
BPD : Bill Payment Date
Scenario 2:
Working in Office without
taking any leave to pay
utility bills
What does turn the scenario 1 into
scenario 2 ?
What do citizen want electronically?
Hight Priority
• Payment of utility bills
• Citizens’ Call Centre (Agri, health, education, directory service)
• Grievance redressal by mobile phone, SMS, website
• Land management (mutation especially)
• Tax and VAT collection (various govt. agencies)
• Voter ID, birth/death registration, VGF card
• Vehicle fitness certificate
• Business/NGO registration
• Services to foreign investors
Public Utility Service Providers in Bangladesh
1) Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)
2) Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (DESA)
3) Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO)
4) Rural Electrification Board (REB)
5) Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA)
6) West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd.
7) Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd.
8) Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd.
9) Jalalabad Gas T & D System Ltd.
10) Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB)
How can we simplify the system
Leveraging the existing ways
For example:
Increasing no. of channels for over the
counter payment
Providing standing orders to banks for paying
of constant bills (like Gas bills)
Increasing the use of ATM, POS, Ready Cash
etc.
Making computerized customer ledger
Having connectivity infrastructure around the nation
Bill info and Downloadable bills on Internet
Increase citizen awareness
Some initiatives by the
Public Utility Service Providers
Initiatives by PDB
Bill payment in partnership with mobile operator
Covered Area : Chittagoan
Cox's Bazar
User Base
: 65,000
Services provided
Query present and past bill status instantly via SMS
Assistance from the most modern and dedicated call
center
Mobile phone from any operator may receive instant
notifications when bills are prepared by PDB
Computerized database of all the customers
Pre-paid meter system
Initiatives by WASA
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Computerized water billing
system for the customers
Electronic bill payment with
Ready Cash card
WASA has a customer centric
website
Customer can place complain
and provide feedback to
WASA by this website
Customer can also see his/her
billing information from this
site by using his/her account
in this site
Any one can print the bill
from here and pay it in the
bank
Initiatives By Titas Gas
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Informative website from where
application forms for new
connection could be downloaded
2,500 customers are using
Janata Bank Ready Cash Card
to pay their bills
Services tracking system for the
new connection processing of
industrial customers at Savar
and Joydevpur
Standard Chartered Bank to
arrange the collection of gas bill
through bank’s bill payment
machine, direct deposit at
Specialized bill payment centers
auto-settlement process and
through credit cards
Initiatives by DESA
Computerized bill
Bill info at www.desa.gov.bd
Bill payment through Auto-Debit system, Easy Pay
machine and Ready Cash card
One stop initiatives with BRAC bank.
Initiatives by REB
Computerized billing system
There is also a central MIS
REB already used the GIS for planning and
distribution of electricity
A project is being formulated to facilitate the
connectivity between local centers and the central
office
SMS billing is in the pipeline
Initiatives by BTTB
BTTB has agreement with 28
banks (6 NCB + 22 PCB) for
bill collection, of these 13
banks
have
introduced
electronic
bill
collection
system in different forms
Pre-paid Calling Card Service
Automation of customer’s
Ledger Management System
Different forms are available
in website
Consumer can view and print
the bill from the website
(Piloted in one exchange)
Pre-paid calling card for
overseas voice call
Recent Development
Electronic and Digital Signature in ICT Act 2006
Rules and Regulations are being formulated
Working on establishing Payment Gateway by
Bangladesh Bank
Reaching of Internet connectivity in 64 districts
115% growth of Mobile Phone market in last year
ATM/Debit card becoming more popular.
The Way Forward
Leveraging the existing facilities
 Establishment of Electronic Payment Gateway
Equip all commercial banks to collect all kinds of
public utility bills at all branches
Matching the Bill Payment Cycles of the Public
Utility Service Providers
Creating Public Private Partnership with relevant
stakeholders
Creating alternative channels for bill payments (for
e.g. Using mobile phones, Standing Bank Order)

Creating awareness among citizens about the
available channels of bill payment.

THANK YOU