国际英语新闻:Bangladesh launches digital one-stop services

DHAKA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has inaugurated Sunday here three digital one-stop services - "Eksheba", "Ekpay" and "Ekshop" - to enable the people to get different government services, utility bills and fees payment facilities and e-commerce.

According to a report of the nation news agency -- BSS, citizens will be able to pay water bills and holding taxes, get municipality or city corporation certificates, automated property management and e-trade license facilities under the pilot programme.

The newly launched "Eksheba" is a single platform where the citizens will get 162 government services. All government services (3,000) will be connected to the digital platform in phases.

The "Ekpay" is a one-stop payment platform where the people will get facilities to pay utility bills, education related fees and other payments.

The "Ekshop" is the country's first "rural assisted" e-commerce platform which will enable people to get necessary products in an easier and faster way. Through this platform, people will be able to buy rural products.

Speaking on the occasion, Sajeeb Wazed Joy said: "Our goal is that, by the year 2021, majority of citizen services will be provided either on their fingertips of mobile phones or through our union digital centers at the doorsteps of people."

He termed the launching of the digital services as "buildings blocks" to implement the Digital Bangladesh.

With the launching of digital municipality services system in nine municipalities and one city corporation as a pilot project, the government has a target to reach the services to 300 municipalities by 2021, he added.