The BBMP is now considering the mobile mode of Property Tax payment to facilitate citizens on the move, basically those who are traveling outside the City. After the successful venture into online payment, wherein 2,00,000 people paid their tax online in May alone, the BBMP hopes that payment via mobile would increase its revenue in the coming years.
“We have already seen a jump of over 150 per cent in collection over the last two months this year with citizens preferring the online payment of property tax. With the introduction of the mobile payment, citizens can pay their taxes even without access to a computer,” said a BBMP official.
The Palike will be upgrading the property tax software and is likely to make it even more user-friendly.
“We already have the software prepared for online payment. While the payment gateway will be third party, the same software in a more compact format will be introduced for mobile payment,” said the official.
The process has already begun to upgrade the software and is likely to be implemented by the fourth quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, the system of paying property tax by credit/debit card has begun functioning in all the 260 help centres and 64 Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) offices across the City. The BBMP has provided the machines to all these offices with no charges either on the citizens or the Palike.
“We have tied up with IDBI, our principal banker, for providing us with card-reading machines. The machines are already in place and people can utilise them for paying their taxes through them,” said the official.
