DOF plans new unit to improve IT system

The Department of Finance (DOF) is planning to set up a new body which will focus on improving the agency’s information technology (IT) system and strengthening internet security.

In an interview, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said he has asked Undersecretary Gil Beltran to form a council composed of IT officers from the DOF and its attached agencies, as part of its anti-red tape initiatives.

“I asked Gil to put together a council among all DOF and attached agencies, a council of IT officers or chief information officers,” Dominguez said.

“IT is a major tool in this department and I want to make sure that our computers can interface with each other, and that we are secure from cyber attacks. We have to sit down and talk more together about internet security,” he added.

The finance chief said the antired tape campaign is one of the major accomplishments in the first year of the Duterte administration.

“We focused on two important things in the agenda of the President. One is the anti-red tape campaign and we were the only department that set up an antired tape unit which is headed by Gil, and we’ve really moved forward with that,” he said.

Among the progress made by this DOF unit is the establishment of an online platform called TradeNet, which seeks to facilitate trade in the country.

It will connect 66 agencies and 10 economic zones involved in regulating trade in the country to expedite the processing of import and export permits and accreditation from months to three days, or even less.