Cashless pay facility set up at LTFRB

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), in partnership with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), launched on Monday a cashless payment facility for government fees.

Housed at the LTFRB’s head office on East Avenue, Quezon City, the first Inclusive Banking Center (IBC) has two point-of-sale terminals, an automated teller machine and a cash deposit machine. LandBank employees will be stationed at the center to assist those making payments for LTFRB services.

“The program is supposed to address the twin issues of corruption and efficiency in the delivery of public service, more particularly in the payment scheme for applications to be paid to the agency,” LTFRB chair Martin Delgra told reporters.

LBP president and chief executive officer Alex Buenaventura said the project would be monitored for three months and may be replicated in other government agencies and even private stakeholders.

“We may roll it out to the big regional offices of the LTFRB,’’ he said. “In short, those who have to pay do not have to go here to the head office.”

Malls and local government units are also being considered to serve as venues for IBCs, Buenaventura noted. “The direction is that all government payments would be covered, as well as private payments for utilities.”

Similar arrangements with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Pag-Ibig Fund and the Philippine National Police are under way, he said. “We hope these facilities would minimize fixing and fixers,” Buenaventura said.

Last month, LandBank also partnered with the Department of Transportation for a financing mechanism aimed at drivers who will be affected by the government’s jeepney modernization program.

Drivers may get a loan package from P1.4 million to P1.6 million to purchase electric, hybrid or Euro-4 compliant jeepneys.