Oman Investment and Finance Company’s (OIFC) superior customer service and its portfolio of state-of-the-art digital products found validation at the OER Business Summit, which honored it with the prestigious Business Excellence Award. 

Mr. Said Ahmed Safrar, Chief Executive Officer, OIFC received the Award on behalf of the Company, at the iconic Summit, held at the Sheraton Oman Hotel, recently. Hosted by H.E. Sheikh Salim bin Mustahail Al Mashani, the Summit was presided over by H.E. Ahmed Al Dheeb, Deputy Chairman of Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ), as the Guest of Honor, and H.H. Dr. Adham Turki Al Said, Founder of The Firm for Business and Economic Consulting, as the Keynote Speaker. 

Having demonstrated its caliber as a one-stop store for customers to  view their bills and make payments – anytime, anywhere – with ease and convenience, the Business Excellence Award came as an acknowledgement of OIFC’s safe and secure payment platforms that have inspired confidence among users in the country. Of particular significance is its encryption technology that keeps accounts secure, enabling a strong, reliable, and safer unified platform. 

The Summit featured extensive discussions on economy (Thriving in an agile and disruptive economic environment) and HR (Growing and developing talent – lifeline of organizations), with panelists providing their takes on business and human capital. On his part, Said Ahmed Safrar, talked about the Company’s digital transformation journey and the exponential growth it had witnessed in digital solutions. He highlighted the Company’s remarkable growth, with statistics for 2021 demonstrating an increase of 128%, over 2020, in the number of transactions on the Khedmah mobile application. This growth, he said, had escalated further in the current year, with steady increase in the number of downloads, which he attributed to the confidence of users in the safety and security that the app endowed.

Responding to a query on customer convenience during the panel discussion, he charted the process undertaken by OIFC to set up and implement services to operate as Payment Services Provider (PSP) and to create an electronic wallet (eWallet). These, he noted, would enhance customer convenience and establish newer options for users to make hassle free payments.

He also focused on OIFC’s contribution to the ambitious Oman Vision 2040 by investing its resources to develop and upgrade innovation and technology in all its operations. It continues to partner with the government in fulfilling the objectives of Vision 2040 with its robust digital transformation and enhanced sustainability.

As one of the leading investment and services company specialised in billing, collection and debt factoring for electricity, water and telecom services in the country, Khedmah has ensured highest standards of customer service. The company keenly studies the market and stays up-to-date with global technologies to maintain its position in the sector. The Company complements its on-ground branch network through the many automatic payment machines distributed across Oman, and its electronic platforms, such as the Khedmah application and website. 

The Award ceremony was organized on the sidelines of the Summit, which brought together senior government officials, influential policy makers and top-notch corporate entities for an engaging discussion on policy initiatives, new economic trends, the role of private sector and the changing dynamics of growth in the country.