Palace vows to pursue digital shift in govt services this year
TO ensure responsiveness and accessibility to the public, the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has vowed to transform government services in 2023.
Its year-end report, the Palace, in a news statement, reiterated that improving bureaucratic efficiency is contained in the administration’s 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda in the near term, putting a premium on digitalizing, harmonizing, and standardizing government data.
“In 2023, the government shall remain steadfast and continue to pursue streamlining initiatives to ensure the delivery of efficient government services to the people and fight corruption by eradicating all forms of red tape,” the administration said.
These include the strengthening of the Tradenet, a one-stop online shop aimed to reduce processing time and harmonize the permitting procedures involved in import and export in the country, the Palace said.
It added that the Anti-red Tape Authority (ARTA), in coordination with other government agencies, would pursue the National Policy on Regulatory Management System (NPRMS), which provides a common framework for good regulatory practices, and enforcement and compliance strategies.
The government said it also plans to advance NPRMS components such as the Philippine Business Regulations Information System (PBRIS) to provide stakeholders and government agencies access to proposed and existing government regulations and avoid overlapping.
It will also push the Anti-red Tape Electronic Management Information System (ARTEMIS) to provide a live database and mapping of all government services indicated in the Citizen’s Charter.
In addition, Philippine Good Regulatory Principles (PGRP) will be implemented to promote proportionate, consistent, accountable, and targeted regulations through an effective dialogue between regulators and entities.
Also, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will pursue the implementation of a proposed executive order creating the Green Lane for Strategic Investments aimed at creating a more favorable business ecosystem.
In line with local government units’ (LGU) devolution of functions, the national government will scale up its assistance to local governments through needs-based and targeted interventions, such as the Growth Equity Fund.
To optimize the government’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) resources, the government will continue to develop and implement interoperable systems that will further implement seamless sharing of data sources, such as the Philippine Identification System and electronic Business Permits and Licensing Service (EBPLS).
The administration will also address the fragmentation of the justice system through the implementation of the National Justice Information System and Middleware Exchange Platform.
On budget reforms, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will focus on rolling out digital systems that will promote prudent fiscal management and improve budget reliability.
This will be done through the enactment of the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance Bill, developing and implementing the Budget and Treasury Management System, and pursuing the National Government Rightsizing Program.