Has the government failed in using information technology to help consumers pay their various bills?

To a large extent, yes. Imagine the time, energy and travel cost the consumer would have saved if electricity, water bills and house tax were paid online directly through one's bank account. The talk of e-governance will amount to just an illusion if these basic services are not made available to consumers and tax payers online. The government better make payment of bills online a reality - sooner, the better.

Daniel F de Souza Freelance journalist, Vasco 

In spite of the infrastructure being available, it is not used as it should be. Like the telephone bill can be paid anywhere, the government should extend that kind of facility for power and water bills as consumers have to travel long distances and bear with queues too. There should be a single point where one can pay all utility bills. Even the landline phone bill payment facility needs to be properly advertised by the authorities.

Siddesh Rangnekar Business manager, Panaji 

Yes, the government has totally failed on this front. While all over the world people sit at home and pay all their bills, here we have to either go to a bank or government office. Most times it is a frustrating exercise of having to queue and losing one's patience. The present bill payment system is sheer waste of time and energy.

Saby Mascarenhas Civil engineer, Siolim 

In this computer age who wouldn't want to pay bills online? Seems like the government is yet to realize that a huge percentage of revenue due to it remains unpaid as the online facility is not made available to consumers. The aggravation that consumers get while queuing up, being told that the persons manning the cash payment counters have gone for a 'chai', and the non-cooperative attitude of irresponsible government servants, is reason enough to postpone paying of bills. It is high time the administration puts its e-governance act together.

Shreedhar Pai Businessman, Margao

Source: TOI

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HOW TO READ BAR CODES…!

HOW TO READ BAR CODES…! (every one must know)

ALWAYS READ THE LABELS ON THE FOODS YOU BUY–NO MATTER WHAT THE FRONT OF THE BOX OR PACKAGE SAYS, TURN IT OVER AND

READ THE BACK—CAREFULLY!
With all the food and pet products now coming from China, it is best to make sure you read label at the supermarket and especially when buying food products. Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located. The whole world is concerned about China-made “black-hearted goods”.

Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ? The world is also concerned about GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods; steroid fed animals (ex: 45 days old
broiler chicken). It is important to read the bar code to track its origin.

How to read Bar Codes….interesting ! If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 690, 691 or 692, the product is MADE IN
CHINA. 471 is Made in Taiwan .

If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 00-09 then it’s made or sourced in USA. This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves. Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products “MADE IN CHINA”, so they don’t show from which country it is made.

However, you may now refer to the barcode – remember if the first 3 digits are:

890……MADE IN INDIA
690, 691, 692 … then it is MADE IN CHINA
00 – 09 … USA and CANADA
30 – 37 … FRANCE
40 – 44 … GERMANY
471 …….. Taiwan
955………Malaysia
49 ………. JAPAN
50 ………. UK

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The addiction that is plaguing 10% of the population: Smartphone addiction

One in ten people have revealed that they are addicted to their smartphone, according to a new study.
The US study conducted on 2,000 college students has found that ten per cent respondents have claimed to have a full-blown addiction to the gadgets, the Sun reported.
The study found that 85% people constantly checked their phones for the time, while three-quarters slept beside it
Meanwhile, counsellor Peter Smith, who reported a ten per cent increase in Brits seeking help for smartphone addiction at his clinic, said that smartphone users feel they’ve got more control to communicate with whoever they want but ironically, it’s that sense of control that creates the anxiety.
He said that it has made younger people more dependent on maintaining those contacts, which can create issues from bullying, to being marginalised and excluded.
Smith added that not having a phone raises the heart rate and signs of panic and these symptoms are almost identical to alcoholism or addiction to gambling, food or drugs.

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IS YOUR CREDIT CARD AT RISK?

Card frauds are on the rise. Find out how to keep your plastic money safe and what to do if you are a victim of identity theft.

Who is your greatest financial foe? The corrupt agent, the con artist or a complacent you? Surprised to see yourself in the list? Don't be. The truth is that sometimes our own ignorance or negligence leaves a door ajar to our financial lives, an opportunity that a hacker or fraudster is lying in wait to get through to raid us. One of the most susceptible instruments is credit cards and the way we use them.

We flaunt them in the open, swipe them on sundry shopping portals and post personal details as status messages on social networks. If you're wearing a sceptical expression after reading the last one, wipe it away. Hackers can use personal data to impersonate you at a bank or financial institution and get more information about your credit card.

"In a day, a person will visit one payment site, which will have stringent security in place, and 99 nonpayment sites that may be somewhat lax. He will probably share some personal information, such as his date of birth or mother's maiden name. Hackers simply amass such information, collate it and sell it to a third party," warns UttamNayak, group country manager, India & South Asia, Visa. While everyone agrees that plastic is the most convenient way to pay, many are wary of using credit cards as they believe these are highly prone to frauds.

 

However, what they miss is the silver lining. If you can prove to your bank that your card has been used for a fraudulent transaction, there is a good chance of recovering your money, which isn't the case if you lose cash.

So, don't cut up all your cards. Instead, recognise your vulnerable areas, know how you can fortify your security and what should be your strategy if your card is misused. Beware of bugs Whether it's the physical world or the digital one, watch out for all malicious elements that are trying to worm their way into your wallet.

When you use your card, check that nobody is peering over your shoulder to memorise the card number or, worse, click a photo with his mobile phone. Another way that thieves steal card data is by skimming them. They copy the information that is embedded in the magnetic strip and then clone it on a counterfeit card.
Source: Namrata DadwalNamrata Dadwal, ET Bureau

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