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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (September 1) the participation of the Water Supplies Department and the Rating and Valuation Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) platform. Members of the public are now able to receive, view, manage and schedule payments for Water Bill and Demand for Rates and/or Government Rent through their Internet banking accounts.
Currently, 19 banks, which operate over 9 million Internet banking accounts, are providing the EBPP service to their customers through the Internet banking system. In addition, 140 merchants and charity organisations, including telecom operators, schools and property management companies have already joined the EBPP platform to provide convenient one-stop bill payment services to the public. For details, please visit www.hkma.gov.hk/media/eng/doc/key-information/press-release/2015/20150901e3a1.pdf.
To help members of the public better understand and use the EBPP service for receiving e-bill summaries from and making e-payments to the merchants and HKSAR Government, the HKMA and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) have jointly developed a wide range of educational materials including a television Announcements in the Public Interests (API), radio API, video demo, poster and electronic brochure. Such educational materials will be launched and made available to the public through various distribution channels.
The HKMA and HKAB will continue to identify rooms for enhancing the existing EBPP service and explore more channels for providing cross-border e-billing and e-payment services through the EBPP platform.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Peter Pang, said, "I am glad to see the Water Supplies Department and the Rating and Valuation Department, which are among the largest public sector bill issuers and account for around 70 per cent of total bill payments received by the HKSAR Government, taking the lead in the HKSAR Government's effort to implement the EBPP service. I hope the public can now get the most of the EBPP service by including the Water Bill and Demand for Rates and/or Government Rent into this innovative e-billing and hassle-free bill management platform. We will continue to encourage other major billers such as the utility companies and other billing departments of the HKSAR Government to join the EBPP service."
Bank customers are encouraged to subscribe the EBPP service through the Internet banking platform. Details can be found at www.hkma.gov.hk/media/eng/doc/key-information/press-release/2015/20150901e3a2.pdf.
Ends/Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:50
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