USAID, Valenzuela sign agreement on mobile money payment scheme

Residents of Valenzuela City will soon be able to pay for government services using mobile money.   The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Valenzuela City government signed an agreement for the adoption of mobile technology in the city’s financial transactions to help cut administrative costs, increase transparency, reduce potential leakage of government funds and help make business transaction with the government easier for citizens.   USAID assistant administrator for the Bureau of Economic Growth, Education and Environment Eric Postel, USAID Philippines mission director Gloria Steele and Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian signed a memorandum of agreement to pilot USAID’s Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money Project.   The project will target the payment of government services, payroll distribution, and payment of private services such as utilities, the US Embassy in Manila noted in a statement Thursday.   Initially covered are real property tax payments and would later include payment for community tax certificates, business permits, market fees and other local government fees.   “It supports USAID Forward, an initiative which focuses on innovation and the application of technology to achieve high-impact development,” Postel said.   Postel is in the country to help launch several new development projects in cooperation with Philippine partners. — VS, GMA News