NADRA collects over Rs3b utility bill
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—The automated utility bill payment KIOSKs launched a year ago by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) got enormous response in first year of its operation where 4.4 million bills worth Rs 3.75 billion were paid using these KIOSKs across the country, a NADRA official said here Thursday.
People from across the country used these KIOSKs for paymentof their utility bills of Sui-gas, electricity and phone by using their computerized national identity cards (CNICs). The citizens also used these KIOSKs for the transaction of 1,525 post paid bills for cellular services and 60,000 pin codes for scratch cards of cellular and pay phone companies, he said.
Since the start of the project in October 2005 the Authorityhas installed 290 KIOSKs across the country. NADRA inked agreements with almost all utility companies andmobile phone companies for payment of their bills and pin codes for scratch cards of mobile phones through these KIOSKs. The official said that as many as 290 such KIOSKs are operational in major cities of the country and NADRA is planning to extend the facility throughout the country. To further expand the range of this facility, it was decidedto open KIOSK counters at NADRA’s all Swift Registration Centres(NSRCs), he added. He said NADRA is also planning for processing of duplicateCNIC and e-ticketing for railway and airlines through these KIOSKs that would tremendously help the public to satisfy their needs withminimum of efforts.
He said NADRA is also offering the franchise of KIOSK to young educated youth as well as small businessman who can either manage already operational KIOSK sites or can deploy KIOSK at their own locations. The authority has already franchised 135 KIOSKs so far.