The Globe Telecom Inc. Group bats for digitalizing government processes to cut red tape.
In particular, the telco welcomes the filing of the e-governance bill, a fresh attempt to pass an earlier Senate bill on government digitalization left at the committee level in the 18th Congress.
The proposed measure, filed by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, promotes “citizen-centric government information and services” through the use of digital technologies.
Already, digitalization, including the opening of electronic payment channels, boosted the collections for the Bureau of Internal Revenue to P2.07 trillion, and the Bureau of Customs to P645.77 billion, in 2021, amid pandemic restrictions.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which limited people’s movement at its height, made government digitalization an urgent need.
“We welcome the move towards digital tools and processes in government," stressed Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu.
"This will help speed up transactions with government agencies, from getting necessary documents for school or employment to securing business permits and registration.”
“Digitalization offers convenience and ease of doing routine transactions. It saves time and effort that would be spent in interminable queues which is very unproductive," he added.
Hence, “We are looking forward to the progress of this bill in Congress and stand ready to support the government to see its digitalization goal into full fruition.”
"Ultimately, the digital shift will help reinvigorate our economy;” Cu concluded.