Under this agreement eGov Services will deliver FINO’s microfinance offerings aggregated by CSC Infrastructure. Therefore, eGov Services will become the first SCA (State CSC Agency) under the CSC initiative to roll out FINO’s microfinance technology offering. To further augment the service offering to rural citizens, eGov Services has entered into a strategic relationship with FINO, to make available numerous financial products & services to citizens across Jharkhand in association with multi partner Banks & Insurance Companies partnering with FINO. This association will enable eGov Services cover a total of 132 blocks, 17131 Villages & 3000 CSC’s by March’2008. eGov Services has already completed 475 CSC’s and are implementing 10 CSC’s a day. eGov Services will control the operations of CSCs, using innovative Smart Card based technologies provided by FINO.
Through the proposed CSCs, the state government of Jharkhand will be able to reach out to citizens for benefit payments across the country, beginning with over 22 million citizens in Jharkhand & Bihar. The CSCs will provide citizens with direct access to G2C and B2C services, thus empowering them with information at their fingertips. G2C services include Utility Bill Payment, Water Tax, Land Record Certificates, Sales Tax, VAT, e-Filing of Tax Returns, Issuance of Income Certificates, Birth Certificates, etc. Additionally, with FINO’s expertise in Micro-Finance, eGov Services will use CSCs to provide B2C services through the CSCs including Micro Insurance, Rural Credit, Rural Banking, Agri Financing etc, thereby bringing banking and insurance related services within the reach of crores of citizens, particularly those across the state of Jharkhand.
Commenting on the project, Mr. Manish Khera, Chief Executive Officer, FINO said, “FINO, a multi-bank promoted entity is focused on developing robust technology solutions to make available financial services through low cost delivery channels like the ones proposed to be set-up by eGov Services. Financial Inclusion being a major thrust area by the Government we see ourselves venturing out in the appropriate direction with this partnership”.
Commenting on the project, Mr. Ashok Kumar, Chairman, CSC Infrastructure said “We strongly believe that the offering of Microfinance & Banking services of FINO through CSC Infrastructure to eGovServices will not only help in pushing capital into the much needed rural economy but will also help in attaining the Government’s goal of having a socially inclusive growth with our involvement through providing IT enabled telecenter infrastructure. CSC Infrastructure is focused on providing an integrated third party managed infrastructure for extending products and service supply chains to rural markets through telecenter infrastructure of Service Center Agencies such as eGovServices”.
Quelle/Source: Moneycontrol, 15.06.2007
