Local legislators confirmed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) entered by the city government and the Landbank for the use of its Link.BizPortal for the city’s transactions and services subject to the inclusion of a provision in the agreement that the bank shall also grant indemnity to the city.
Under Resolution No. 455, series of 2021, signed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, the council stated that the local government and its clients can conveniently and favorably benefit from various services offered by the Link.BizPortal.
Further, the council added that the city government, through its representative, is authorized to open new accounts with Landbank to facilitate the LinkBiz.Portal use.
The body required that the MOA to be signed by both parties shall be submitted to the council for confirmation.
Earlier, the city chief executive requested for an authority to enter into a MOA with the Landbank for the use of the Link.BizPortal for the local government’s transactions and services.
At present, the city government, pursuant to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8792, otherwise known as the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000, is currently undertaking the modernization of its facility to provide fast and efficient alternative payment collection services to its clientele.
The Link.BizPortal is designed and operated by the Landbank to allow its partner merchants or clients such as local government units to directly transact or interface with the bank payment gateway whichever is applicable.
Under the aforesaid portal, the clients of the local government may transact business or pay their monetary obligations via the internet using any of the electronic payment models being offered by the government financial institution subject to the terms and conditions appurtenant thereto.
The bank’s LinkBiz.Portal aims to provide convenience and efficiency to all involved institutions as well as safer and faster delivery of funds; decrease the direct and indirect cost associated with physical cash or distribution of in-kind goods; establish accountability and tracking of financial flows, resulting in less corruption and theft and de-clog lobby traffic and save on operation cost.
Among the features of the LinkBiz.Portal include the fact that it can handle small and large value payments; generates and issues online payment confirmation which may be printed or sent through electronic mail as applicable and available 7 days a week, including holidays, except during system maintenance.
The functions of the LinkBizPortal are for centralized enrollment of partner merchants or agencies; can handle small and large value payments; link to deposit system; real-time debit instruction from client’s account and batch credit to merchant’s account; can accommodate check digit algorithm requirement of merchants; real-time online viewing facility of payment transactions for partner merchants or agencies; generation of reports in a standard format to be used by the bank and the merchant for balancing and reconciliation and available 7 days a week, including holidays, except during system maintenance. By Dexter A. See
