Ministry of Finance to launch e-stamp service

Move aims at improving quality of services

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 25: Ministry of Finance, with the cooperation of Shared Electronic Banking Company (KNet), launched the service of direct purchase and issuance of e-stamps using KNet devices available to the employees of governmental bodies, instead of the machines that issue paper stamps, reports Al-Rai daily.

According to sources, this move was based on the keenness of the ministry to improve the quality of the services offered to citizens and residents, and facilitate the possibility of paying the fees of transactions online, and using e-stamps instead of paper stamps.

There are many advantages in using the service such as reducing the number of steps for completing the transactions, which require payment of fees by purchasing the stamps, from three to one.

The process of payment and issuance of the stamps will be carried out directly within a few minutes using the K-net devices available with the service employees. This will eliminate the need for the visitor to provide cash for buying stamps.

In a press statement, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Accounting Affairs at Ministry of Finance Ibrahim Assaf Al-Enezi said, “Since last September, the implementation of the system began gradually by phasing out paper-stamp machines which required hard cash for the issuance of stamps.

These machines are being gradually replaced by new instant smartstamp devices that were recently launched and through which immediate collection can be made through local bank cards.”

He added, “The e-stamp system came as a culmination of the efforts exerted by Ministry of Finance, the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT), and the Shared Electronic Banking Services (KNet) to facilitate and develop the means of collecting fees for all government services, and avoiding the collection of fees in cash from the customers”.