Online system helps ICA

THE Immigration Citizenship Authority (ICA) collected K91,000 in the first five days of its payment gateway coming online.
It makes it easy for people to pay immigration service fees.
Chief Migration Officer Solomon Kantha said since the online payment gateway came online, 135 people signed up through the authority’s website to make online visa payments. There were 45 orders. Kantha said the online system allows one to make overseas transactions for visa payment.
The funds come directly to the authority.
“The online payment gateway was introduced for five days.
“We are looking at getting all our clients abroad to be paying their fees via the online payment gateway,” he said.
“They will just take the payment receipt of their application to an overseas mission to lodge.
They do not have to deal with any person.
They will deal directly with the mission and their applications will be processed.
“There are no agents involved. It cuts out all the red tape.
“That’s money coming directly into government revenue.”
Kantha said clients who were overseas could just drive to the airport, sit at the terminal apply for a visa and get it within five minutes.
He said it helped solve many of the legacy issues that the authority had faced over the years on the turnaround time for the processing of applications.
The system was developed with the help of Bank South Pacific and Niugini Online.