RESIDENTS of Lae can now pay bills, apply for licences and access services online after the Lae City Authority launched its digital platform ServiceLink on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister and LCA chairman John Rosso said it was to make life easier for residents and businesses.
“ServiceLink is about making it easier for our people to access services without delays,” he said.
“It is for the taxpayers, the people of Lae and Papua New Guinea.”
LCA chief executive officer Robin Calistus said the days of long queues at the LCA offices were over.
“No more queues,” he said.
“You experience queues for one month, three months, even one year. There will be no more queues after launching this service.”
Through ServiceLink, users can apply for business licenses and permits, pay taxes, land rates and service fees, lodge complaints, and track their applications, all from a phone or computer at any time.
Calistus said Lae, as home to PNG’s largest port and a fast-growing population, deserves better.
He said: “ServiceLink is LCA’s step up to that standard.”
The platform took nearly seven years to build, developed with technology partner NiuPay Limited and financial partners including Kina Bank.
Calistus thanked NiuPay, the Department of ICT, LCA staff and government representatives for their support.
He called on his team to embrace the new system.
“The technology is here. It is up to us to make it work,” he said.
The LCA will run an awareness campaign in the coming weeks, reaching communities through local forums, outreach programmes and digital channels across Lae and surrounding areas.
Rosso said the mission was for Lae to be recognised as a leader in digital urban governance.
