Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please provide a brief summary of the initiative including the problems/challenges it addressed and the solutions that the initiative introduced (300 words maximum)
eFAWATEERcom is an electronic system for presenting and paying bills owned by the Central Bank of Jordan and operated by MadfooatCom for Electronic Payments. Using this system, customers will be able to pick the time and place they want to pay their bills through versatile list of payment channels that include ATMs, Tellers, Mobile and Online Banking services, Jordan’s post offices, along with a number of trusted centers in Carrefour, Safeway and many others. Besides that, customers will be able to use www.efawateercom.jo to pay their bills 24/7 via credit cards and also directly from their bank accounts.
The e-FAWATEERcom initiative was proposed by the Central Bank of Jordan as a response to several projects worldwide such as “Orange Money”, to enable customers to pay their telecom bills and purchase telecom services with ease using their bank accounts online via the internet by simply accessing their bank accounts and pay or purchase telecom services.
As Orange Jordan being the leading integrated telecom operator in Jordan, that operates a state of the art network, which provide internet access with huge capacities and speeds, was thrilled to cooperate with the Central Bank of Jordan to provide the needed internet access, simply to enable customers who has active bank accounts to access their account online and settle their dues to Orange Jordan and other utility companies in Jordan.
Our strategy was to develop a secured mode to review and pay the customer bill payment including purchasing telecom service with ease utilizing the latest telecom technology via the internet. This strategy required the collaboration of the public sector represented by the CBJ and the private sector represented by the bank and utility companies.
The main target audience were the joint customers of the banks and utility companies. Both customers came together to benefit from the initiative proposed by the CBJ
a. What are the overall objectives of the initiative?
Please describe the overall objectives of the initiative (200 words maximum)
Our strategy was to develop a secured mode to review and pay the customer bill payment including purchasing telecom service with ease utilizing the latest telecom technology via the internet. This strategy required the collaboration of the public sector represented by the CBJ and the private sector represented by the bank and utility companies.
The main target audience were the joint customers of the banks and utility companies. Both customers came together to benefit from the initiative proposed by the CBJ.
b. How does the initiative fit within the selected category?
Please describe how the initiative is linked to the criteria of the category (200 words maximum)
1- Public Private Partnership (PPP): This project provided the perfect atmosphere and grounds for properly applying the well longed for public private partnership. This project proved the successful partnership. Both resources of the public and private were utilized for the better future of the society both serve.
2- Automation of bill and service acquiring: This project enabled customers to automate their bill settlement as well as acquiring services online, and to pay for such services from their bank accounts directly.
3- Saving time, efforts and money: By paying online and at home, customers do not have to travel or drive to our shops to do their business.
4- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): From a CSR perspective, this project enabled us to Serve an important and needy sector of our customers, the disabled and elderly.
5- Improve and enhance image: E-FAWATEERcom improved our image to our customer proving that we care about their needs to pay their bill with ease
Question 2
The initiative should improve people’s lives, notably by enhancing the contribution of public services to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the SDGs
a. Please explain how the initiative improves the delivery of public services (200 words maximum)
1- The public and private sectors worked closely together towards the same objectives.
2- Enhanced the image of Orange Jordan as being a customer oriented company. Looking after the satisfaction of our customers. The customer should be the focal point.
3- CSR to the society we all live in. We all share this burden.
4- Utilizing technology to automate bill payment and settlement of dues.
5- Uncover one’s potential to work in a complex and pressured situation.
Question 3
The initiative must impact positively a group or groups of the population (i.e. children, women, elderly, people with disability, etc) and address a significant issue of public service delivery within the context of a given country or region.
a. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant issue related to the delivery of public services (200 words maximum)
b. Please explain how the initiative has impacted positively a group or groups of the population within the context of your country or region (200 words maximum)
Question 4
The initiative must present an innovative idea, a distinctively new approach, or a unique policy or approach implemented in order to realize the SDGs in the context of a given country or region.
a. Please explain in which way the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region (200 words maximum)
Around 90% of all settlement transactions are done through orange Jordan’s shops that are distributed all around Jordan. Customers need to visit one of those shops to make their transactions, which proves to be time and effort consuming, not to forget the cost linked to that.
Providing a payment solution to our customers was essential as it serves several objectives: enable customers to view their bills online, enable them to settle their dues without the need to visit one of our shops, improves our image as an advanced telecom operator, being customer oriented, online payment and settlement of dues on our billing systems.
Many disabled and elderly customers find it really difficult to visit our shops to settle their dues, it takes them great hardship to drive, or take any mode of transport to visit our shops, not to mention the hot and cold weather conditions that they have to suffer during the summer or winter seasons.
Providing an easy way to pay the customer bills while they’re setting at home may help all customers especially the disabled and elderly to settle their bills and purchase air time and data bundles easily
Question 4b
b. Please describe if the innovation is original or if it is an adaptation from other contexts (If it is known)? (200 words maximum)
Question 4c
c. What resources (i.e. financial, human , material or other resources, etc) were used to implement the initiative? (200 words maximum)
, many working hours were exerted from our IT engineers and technicians to set up the connections with our billing system and providing the needed capacity in our servers, while maintaining the integrity of our systems by providing the necessary safety fire walls.
Also, our finance team were involved with setting up the processes.
The project’s costs related to Orange Jordan was funded from our own internal resources.
Question 5
The initiative should be adaptable to other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions). There may already be evidence that it has inspired similar innovations in other public-sector institutions within a given country, region or at the global level.
a. Has the initiative been transferred to other contexts?
No
Question 6
The initiative should be able to be sustained over a significant period of time.
a. Please describe whether and how the initiative is sustainable (covering the social, economic and environmental aspects) (300 words maximum)
The initiative of eFawateerCom by the central bank of Jordan is being sustained in all aspects (in terms of financial, social and economic, cultural, environmental, institutional and regulatory sustainability); it is now regulated by the CBJ for all banks, payment service providers, billers and merchants in Jordan, and its offering an efficient quality service to all parties: customers, banks, billers, government…
The government of Jordan (represented by its prime minister) started to connect to eFawateerCom to offer its citizens an easy way to pay their government dues on-line real-time; three major government entities are now connected (Customs dept., Amman Municipality and Social Security), also a memo from the prime minister of Jordan was issued to all government entities to connect to eFawateerCom initiative which became now a national initiative modernizing the way Jordanians carry out payments, bringing transactions online. It reduces costs and time spent tracking and paying bills for banks, billers, and end users. With an easy-to-use software platform and multiple payment channels available across the country, it increases the accuracy of payment tracking and the percentage of on-time payments. Today eFawateerCom has 21 banks live and more than 15 major billers, including all telecom companies and government entities. End users can make payments to these billers at any of Jordan’s banks, as all as via branch and online banking and soon via ATM machines, POS machines, Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR), and mobile banking
b. Please describe whether and how the initiative is sustainable in terms of durability in time (300 words maximum)
The initiative of eFawateerCom by the central bank of Jordan is being sustained in all aspects (in terms of financial, social and economic, cultural, environmental, institutional and regulatory sustainability); it is now regulated by the CBJ for all banks, payment service providers, billers and merchants in Jordan, and its offering an efficient quality service to all parties: customers, banks, billers, government…
The government of Jordan (represented by its prime minister) started to connect to eFawateerCom to offer its citizens an easy way to pay their government dues on-line real-time; three major government entities are now connected (Customs dept., Amman Municipality and Social Security), also a memo from the prime minister of Jordan was issued to all government entities to connect to eFawateerCom initiative which became now a national initiative modernizing the way Jordanians carry out payments, bringing transactions online. It reduces costs and time spent tracking and paying bills for banks, billers, and end users. With an easy-to-use software platform and multiple payment channels available across the country, it increases the accuracy of payment tracking and the percentage of on-time payments. Today eFawateerCom has 21 banks live and more than 15 major billers, including all telecom companies and government entities. End users can make payments to these billers at any of Jordan’s banks, as all as via branch and online banking and soon via ATM machines, POS machines, Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR), and mobile banking
Question 7
The initiative should have gone through a formal evaluation, showing some evidence of impact on improving people’s lives.
a. Has the initiative been formally evaluated?
No
Question 8
The initiative must demonstrate that it has engaged various actors such as from other institutions, civil society, or the private sector, when possible.
a. The 2030 Development Agenda puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, coordination, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe what stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative. Please also highlight their roles and contributions (300 words maximum)
This initiative was designed and implemented by a collaboration of several public and private institutions such as:
The Central Bank of Jordan: From the part of the CBJ, the Oversight of Payment and Settlement Systems / Payment & Domestic Banking Operations Department was the main contributor to the project, in addition to the IT and finance departments as well .
Madfoo3atCom for ePayments company: The operator and manager of eFawateerCom service on behalf of the central bank of Jordan.
Several banks (not limited to): The Jordan Islamic Bank, the Housing Bank, The Arab Bank, the Islamic International Arab Bank and others.
Utility companies: From Orange Jordan’s part, the Orange Money unit was the main contributor to the project, in addition to the It department as well. Other telecom companies contributed as well, Including Irbid electricity company and The Water Authority.
More utility companies are expected to be included such as the Water Company and the Electricity Company.
Question 9
a. Please describe the key lessons learned, and any view you have on how to further improve the initiative (200 words maximum)
1- Public Private Partnership is not a myth. It is a reality that may occur with will and determination of both sectors.
2- Technology can be used to better serve the society with minimum cost.
3- Collaboration may surface and unearth potential that was covered in the past.
4- Bridging the technology gap between developed and developing countries by working with such projects.
5- Corporate Social Responsibility is important for utility companies who serve a wide spectrum of customers.