dewa-commences-direct-debit-payment-service-through-five-banks

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) achieved a new milestone through its partnerships with financial institutions by signing agreements with five banks in the UAE, to provide direct-debit payment services for its customers and the banks’ customers. This comes in line with DEWA’s strategy to provide electronic services to meet the growth and demand that the Emirate of Dubai is currently experiencing. To reinforce this growth, DEWA has now activated the direct-debit payment service through five banks including Emirates NBD, First Gulf Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Ajman Bank and Emirates Islamic Bank. This step is considered a significant leap in the area of customer service. On this occasion, HE Saeed Mohamed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said, “This new accomplishment comes in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to instruct all government departments to join forces and to unify their efforts to achieve the strategy. This strategy aims to promote e-services and encourage the use of the e-portal. Thereby this will reduce the number of customers queuing in government departments, and will implement world-class levels of efficiency within the field of customer service”. “This step is in line with DEWA's strategy to establish an electronic infrastructure that promotes a balanced and effective e-transformation process. DEWA has put at the forefront of its priorities the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies and solutions, and their implementation within DEWA’s operations to meet the goals of Dubai’s Strategic Plan, to achieve balanced and sustainable development,” His Excellency added. “The service enables DEWA’s customers to pay their fees through the banks' electronic channels and allows the automatic transfer of funds to the customers’ accounts at DEWA, and thus serves to immediately update their accounts. The payment service is now available through First Gulf Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Ajman Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD. DEWA is in the process of negotiations with other banks to provide direct-debit payment services for their customers,” explained His Excellency. Eng. Marwan Salem bin Haider, Vice President and CIO of DEWA said, “This new service is considered part of DEWA’s strategy to give its customers a wide variety of services, and is also an inherent part of its continuing efforts to provide the best electronic services to save time and effort for its customers.” The rate of electronic transactions through the direct-debit payment service reached 668 transactions per day since the trial launch of this service in August 2010. These numbers are expected to increase as all remaining banks connect to the new service. DEWA intends to provide this service to all its customers through all operating banks in the UAE. DEWA provides regular payment channels through its offices from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm, except Fridays. It also provides them through petrol stations such as ENOC and EPPCO, Emirates Post Offices, Etisalat and Bank payment machines, mpay through its website mpay.dubai.ae, and via smart phone applications, such as iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android and Windows 7, as well as through DEWA’s electronic portal www.dewa.gov.ae