Article No 17 : What is Gov Pay?

01. Introduction

The government and associated institutions in Sri Lanka offer a range of services to the general public, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large corporations, and other entities. Consequently, these groups are required to remit payments to the relevant institutions for the diverse services and support received. Gov Pay serves as an online payment platform intended to enable and execute various digital transactions for governmental services. This facility is utilized by multiple stakeholders, including the general public and various businesses, to conduct transactions securely, conveniently, and simply. According to the Gov Pay website, numerous types of transactions can be initiated for a variety of services, encompassing payments for taxes, utility bills, educational fees, and other services. Payments can be made simply, securely, and conveniently through existing banking mobile applications or online banking platforms.

02. Collaborative Effort - Three Institutions with CBSL

The Gov Pay initiative in Sri Lanka is not the product of a single organization. Rather, it is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, Lanka Pay, the national payment service provider, and the Ministry of Digital Economy. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) oversees the activities and new endeavors of these institutions and ensures the sustained provision of services to domestic stakeholders. This initiative aims to modernize revenue collection, improve security and compliance, address risk management requirements, and increase the transparency of government financial transactions. The overarching goal is to align with the Sri Lanka Digital Economic Strategy by establishing a structured payment ecosystem encompassing government services, banks, and financial institutions to improve e-government service delivery. This initiative was launched back in Jan-Feb 2025 and planned out with a very minimum number of institutions (16 Government institutions) and additional 30 institutions are planned to join in subsequent phases.

03. Partner Financial Institutions

1. Banks Amana Bank, BOC (Bank of Ceylon), Cargills Bank, Commercial Bank, DFCC Bank, HNB, NSB , National Development Bank, Nations Trust Bank, Pan Asia Bank PLC, Peoples Bank, Sampath Bank, Seylan Bank - All together 13 Banks

1. Payment instruments / Fintech Apps Frimi, Genie, Hela kuru and Ipay - 04 Fintech Apps

04. Objectives of formulate a Gov Pay Payment Platform

The main purpose of providing an online payment platform like Gov pay is to provide a secure, convenient and simple digital platform for government and its institutional related transactions in Sri Lanka. There are many objectives and targets are expected to achieve within a stipulated time period. Some of the objectives are mentioned for your references,

01. This platform enables individuals and businesses to execute online payments, thereby substantially decreasing the time and effort required.

02. The platform is designed to support a variety of payment methods, encompassing bank transfers, card payments, and account-based transactions.

03. Transactions can be finalized rapidly, typically within seconds or minutes, thereby ensuring more precise processing of governmental payments.

04. The introduction of this online platform is expected to significantly diminish cash handling, associated labor, and instances of fraud.

05. This platform will provide assistance for financial reporting and auditing requirements.

06. It will bolster Sri Lanka's digital strategy by integrating diverse government institutions with banking and financial support services.

07. This initiative is anticipated to improve public knowledge and understanding of digital financial services, encouraging citizens to adopt these instruments for frequent governmental payments.

08. The implementation of online and automated payment processing will result in a considerable reduction of required labor.

09. The platform facilitates secure transactions in real-time.

05. How it Works

Please refer to the following links for your reference,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKT-XpcmjxI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10O4zaFRyS0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBNMSdK3B2k

https://govpay.lk/

06. Government institutions currently signed up

• Department of Ayurveda

• Department of Technical Education and Training

• Excise Department

• Gampaha Municipal Council

• Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology

• Jaffna Divisional Secretariat

• Kegalle Divisional Secretariat

• Mahara Divisional Secretariat

• National Cancer Institute of Apshksha

• Rambukkana Pradeshiya Sabhawa

• Ratmalana Divisional Secretariat

• Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board

• Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)

• Sri Lanka Survey Department

• Telecommunication Regulatory Commission

• Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat

• University of Colombo

• University of Colombo School of Computing

• University of Moratuwa

• Vocational Training Authority

07. Upcoming Organizations - (Within next 6 months plan)

• Cey-NOR Foundation Ltd.

• Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC)

• Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC)

• Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR)

• Institute of Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences

• IRCSL

• Ministry of Urban Development

• National Acqua-culture Development Authority (NAQDA)

• National Aquatic Resources Research & Development Agency (NARA)

• National Fisheries Federation

• National Institute of Business Management

• National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

• Northsea Ltd.

• PG Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies

• Rathnapura Pradeshiya Sabha

• SLIATE

• Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Divisional Secretariat

• Sri Lanka Standard Institution

• State of the Fish Market Complex, Peliyagoda

• University of Kelaniya (FGS)

• University of Peradeniya

• Urban Development Authority (UDA)

• Uva Province Local Government Department

• Wattatla Mabola Urban Council

08. About the Author

Mr Dinuka Mandula Peiris – Practicing Marketer in SL, MBA (PIM-USJP), PgDipM (SLIM), CIM(UK), CPM (Asia), MSLIM, ACIM.

Two times Winner at National Sales Awards organized by Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) under Sales Executive and Territory Manager (IT & E-commerce) category in 2023 & 2024.

Currently working as a Sales Manager – Payments at Epic Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

Reach me out at 0778622929 or dinuka_p@epiclanka.net

Thank you! Cheers!