| Authored by: | Ministry of Finance |
| Source: | Ministry of Finance |
| Date: | March 25, 2021 |
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From left to right: Mr. Marlon Johnson, Acting Financial Secretary, Sir Brian M. Moree Kt., QC, Chief Justice The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Nicole Reilly, DigiPay Project Coordinator, Camille Darville-Gomez, Registrar Supreme Court of The Bahamas Patrice Ingraham (Mrs.) |
The Bahamas Digital Payment Platform (DigiPay) has officially been fully integrated into the Courts. It is a major achievement for the Bahamian judicial system as clients now have the option to pay fees with credit or debit cards. This provides relief to clients who for years were inconvenienced because cash was the only acceptable form of payment.
Registrar Camille Darville-Gomez spoke on the impact of this new accomplishment for the Courts, "Despite the fact that the use of debit and credit cards has been widely accepted in most businesses and Government offices in The Bahamas that has sadly not been the reality at any of the Courts in The Bahamas. Therefore, it is a red-letter day for customers, including litigants and attorneys to the Magistrates Court, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal to be able to pay court filing fees and other fees, fines and traffic tickets via debit and credit card. The convenience of The Bahamas Digital Payment Platform cannot be overestimated. It is hoped that in the future with further infrastructural enhancements these payments can be made online. In any event, the Judiciary is pleased to offer this service to our customers in New Providence with expansion into Grand Bahama very soon.”
The DigiPay platform is owned by the Government and was designed and developed by a young Bahamian technologist, Kristie Powell. Her success in implementing this breakthrough technology is a testament to the homegrown Bahamian brilliance that exists in this country. The government will be showcasing her talents on a large scale throughout numerous agencies.
DigiPay provides a single, unified system for customers to pay for government services with debit or credit cards or using cash at any of the participating third party vendors (Omni, Suncash and Island Pay). Payments are received and recorded in the Government’s accounting ledger. Clients receive their invoices and receipts through SMS text messages and emails with the ability to download and print their receipts. Cash payments are still available in some agencies however, the use of cash will be reduced overtime to limit the potential for fraud and modernize revenue collection for the Government.
DigiPay has also facilitated payment of the government’s Interoperability Pilot Program which allows applications for government services to be made and paid for online. Bahamians can now apply online for driver’s licence renewals along with birth, death and marriage certificates.
“DigiPay is the future of revenue collection for The Bahamas Government! This is another milestone accomplishment towards a digitized future. DigiPay’s streamlined approach to cashless transactions will have a positive impact on revenue collections and move the entire government forward on its journey toward a digital Bahamas,” said Senator James Kwasi Thompson, Minister of State for Finance.
The Digipay platform will soon be able to also process transactions in the Central Bank’s digital currency, Sand Dollars. As a major stakeholder, the government is excited to partner with the Central Bank on the rollout of the country’s first ever digital currency. Eventually, DigiPay will be able to conduct direct payments and receive funds via the Bahamas Automated Clearing House facility as well.
As the platform continues to gain momentum, more government ministries, departments and agencies are looking to onboard DigiPay to improve the ease of doing business for the public. Next in line to implement the new system are the Port Department, the Department of Inland Revenue for Real Property Tax Collection, the Customs Department, the Road Traffic Department, the Registrar General Department, the Department of Labor and the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The DigiPay team is excited to work with these agencies to bring their revenue collection needs into the twentieth century.
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