Mobile Drive

July 16, 2013 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's car owners will be able to renew and pay for annual revenue licenses through their mobile phones, an official said as part of efforts to boost government service delivery, officials said. Sri Lanka’s Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) said car owners in the Western Province would be able to apply and pay for revenue license from the end of this month.

The service will be expanded to the North Western Province and Kegalle District by the end of this year.

It will use a mobile payment system from Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka's largest cell phone company, which has been approved by the Central Bank to handle mobile payments.

"This will be an alternative payment system," ICTA's eServices Programme head Kanchana Thudugala said.

"It will be initially provided with the support of Dialog’s easy cash payment system."

Dialog Axiata is the first operator to be licensed by Sri Lanka's central bank to make mobile payments.

ICTA communications director Athula Pushpakumara said other mobile operators would also be invited to join the system.

The system will also send a text message notifying the expiry date of revenue license, the following ye