Regulatory compliance ecosystem
Eighth of a series
There are various measures in bringing about transformation in the way government can enhance the regulatory compliance ecosystem. Over the years, the following measures have been undertaken: capacity building and training of government employees, enlightened leadership, incentivizing good performance of bureaucrats, sanctioning below par performance, organizational structure changes, designating champions, oversight by civil society, streamlining of procedures, and anti-red tape legislation. To effect transformation in the delivery of public service towards enhancing the regulatory system, the synergy and combination of these various measures are required.
Digital transformation is an initiative that recently has been focused on in the bureaucracy. Digital or e- government presents promise towards improving the delivery of public service. In the Philippines, it is only recently that the apparent champion for e- government was anointed. The Department of Information and Communications Technology was just created in 2016 with the enactment of Republic Act 10844. The DICT was tasked to be the lead agency for governing and overseeing ICT policies and programs, including the framework for 3- governments. In the past, every change of administration results in a change in the policies in steering E- government implementation. The establishment of the DICT is a policy milestone in the evolution of E- government in the Philippines. The DICT now can be the anointed institution to move forward and mainstream E- Government innovations. Is DICT up to the challenge? One of its first acts upon its creation was the formulation of the E-Government Masterplan 2022. The EGMP 2022 is the road map for a harmonized government information system. This plan presents the direction for development of the country’s e- Government systems through the digital transformation of basic services such as public health, basic education, and ease of doing business. The services that cut across the whole of government are expected to result in a more cost effective and efficient public services. E - government can increase accessibility of public services to citizens, specifically in terms of availability, speed, cost, and convenience. Businesses can also be provided with more support for easier investment, establishment, operation, and scaling- up. The Philippines has also made inroads in United Nations as published the United Nations E- Government Survey (Survey). This Survey is leading benchmarking reference on egovernment and a policy tool for decision makers. This was started in 2001 and is a bi-annual report on E- government information on 193 countries. The Philippines did well in the past two most recent Surveys, being ranked 71 in the 2018 Survey and improving to 57 in the 2020 Survey.
In the DICT’S task of moving forward the ICT and e- Government initiatives, it is supported by three attached agencies, the National Privacy Commission, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Cyber Crime Investigation and Coordination Center.
The tagline of DICT in pursuing the E-government initiatives is “One digitized government Philippines.” Are we now on track in attaining this?
To be continued
Joel L. Tan-torres is the Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the Sycip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979.
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