Fast electronic payments are another facility in the modernization of financial services for Albanian consumers and enterprises, guaranteeing less time and monetary costs.
The State Ministry for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate has launched a pilot project to test this new platform, from the coffee bill to utility payments such as electricity, water, fines, etc., which was presented today in one of the businesses of Administrative Unit Five in the capital.
The project aims to facilitate the payment process and promote the use of modern technologies in financial services.
Through this initiative, the Albanian government and financial institutions aim to reduce the use of physical cash payments, increase the use of digital technologies, promote innovation in the financial sector and improve financial inclusion for all citizens. By July of this year all banks will create access to a wider range of online payments.
At the presentation of the pilot project, Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate Delina Ibrahimaj, stood together with various citizens.
“We have completed the selection phase of all individuals in three cities, in Tirana, in Peshkopi and in Përmet. We have concluded contracts with all individuals and from next week we will continue to make payments through electronic models. Payment testing will begin today. Eight companies have been selected. The purpose of the whole project is to understand all the difficulties that individuals may have in using these payments. Wwe are all committed to innovation, and a key element of innovation is electronic payments.” – explained Minister Ibrahimaj, who emphasized that the implementation of the project will also test the public’s approach to this innovation.
“Through this test, we want to firstly see how the public behaves, and secondly, test all the systems that will be online from July of this year, since all banks have the obligation to the implementation of the Open Banking directive that gives a greater impetus to the use of electronic payments. We will collect all the data, and as all other countries have done, we should set a target for the % of payments that should be made via electronic devices in the future.” – she said.
For his part, Prime Minister Rama said that electronic payments are a priority for consumers. “For once, this gives consumers a very big advantage because they will not carry money in their pockets, they will control their finances at all times, and above all, this prevents tax. Plus, this comes with no commission, it is cheaper than using the card and the transactions made through the bank. There are only good things that come from this!” – said Prime Minister Rama.
The Pilot Project will be implemented for the period May-August 2024 in Tirana, Peshkopi, and Përmet. Making and confirming the payment in real time through the electronic wallet offered by financial institutions is done through the QR code of the fiscalized invoice.
