Electronic payment methods on the cards for vehicle imports
View(s):The Motor Traffic Department (MTD) and the Customs have been directed to introduce faster payment methods electronically in a timely and cost effective manner, enabling e-payments at Customs for vehicle importation.
This directive was issued by Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) in its latest report recently.
The Committee was of the view that the way payments are done in the importation of vehicles is inefficient as only the state banks are involved in the process.
According to Customs, the Central Bank (CB) is having discussions with the national payments and settlements provider Lankaclear (Pvt) Ltd to change the process.
It has proposed setting up of the ‘Lanka Pay Online Payment Platform’ (LPOPP), together with seven commercial banks (Bank of Ceylon, Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank, Seylan Bank, Cargills Bank, People’s Bank and Amana Bank) who have all been certified end-to-end for secure customs payments.
The CB has instructed to commence the project implementation by Lanka Clear (Pvt) Ltd.
The registration of motor vehicles, transfer and issuing of driving licenses are now being done by the ICT system.
The online facilities will be provided to 17 districts in the near future and the e-motoring project will be launched this year, MTD officials’ said.
On inquiry by the Committee, the Deputy Auditor General has expressed the view that there is a possibility of altering the information furnished by the Customs when the registration is done at the Department of Motor Traffic.
According to the Customs, the current system is connected both to the Government Audit system and the internal audit system.
If any error is occurred that error is recorded in the system and no alteration can be done. But as there is a human intervention between the release of the vehicles and the registration, a system should be developed to electronically communicate the information, the Deputy Auditor General has told COPA.