SINGAPORE FIRM TO IMPLEMENT E-PURSE SOLUTION IN OMAN

SINGAPORE, May 18 (Bernama) -- Singapore's leading electronic payments
provider, NETS has entered into a partnership with Gemalto Middle East, a Dutch
digital security company to implement the first national e-Purse solution with
the Omani government beginning this July.

The e-Purse solution will allow both citizens and residents to store and
load money in their national identity and resident cards and use them as a mode
of payment besides credit and debit cards, the company said in an announcement
here Monday.

NETS said this would not only help Omani government departments to collect
payment for their services but also allow citizens and residents who did not
carry a debit or credit card to transact electronically.

It said during the initial phase, it would be mandatory for citizens and
residents to use the cards to pay for transactions such as fines with the Royal
Oman Police.

The solution would be rolled out extensively next year with all banks in
Oman participating in the e-Purse initiative, the company added.
-- BERNAMA