Beirut: Education and Higher Education Minister Rima Karami and Minister of State for Administrative Development Fadi Makki launched an electronic payment system for colloquium examination fees, marking a new step in the government's drive to modernize public administration, advance digital transformation and strengthen transparency.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the announcement was made during a meeting at the Education Ministry attended by Higher Education Director General Mazen El Khatib and technical teams from both ministries. Makki highlighted that the new system completes the digitization of the colloquium application process, which had already moved online but still required applicants to pay fees in person at banks or cash transfer companies. Developed in coordination with the Education and Finance ministries, the platform integrates an electronic payment gateway, allowing applicants to complete the entire process online through the ministry's website using bank cards via NetCommerce.
Makki noted that around 3,000 students sit the colloquium annually, with about 20% applying from abroad, making the new system a significant improvement in accessibility. He mentioned that similar digital payment solutions had already been introduced in the Labor and Economy ministries and praised the Education Ministry's digital transformation team, emphasizing its experience would serve as a model for other public administrations.
Karami described the initiative as an important milestone in improving governance and public service delivery, emphasizing that digital transformation is central to the ministry's long-term reform strategy. She mentioned that the ministry had pursued digitization for years through project-based initiatives and was now working to build the institutional foundations for a fully digital administration.
Higher Education Director General Mazen El Khatib stated that the electronic payment platform represented the final stage of a broader digitalization effort that began with online credential equivalency applications and later expanded to online colloquium registration. He added that the next phase would extend electronic payments to private universities for licensing, accreditation, and program approvals through a dedicated online portal.