By Cip D.C. Cabrera
MALACAÑANG Palace, Manila — In line with the vision of the Marcos administration of enhancing public service and governance, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has proposed a P12.47 billion budget allocation for the transformation and digitalization of government’s processes and transactions.
According to DBM secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the allotted fund under the 2023 National Budget will emphasize the importance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the new normal and she believes that the 2023 fund will boost the capacity of government agencies, particularly in collecting fees and taxes in digital channels.
“For 2023, we have a total budget for ICT and digitalization, 12.47 billion. This is across the national government agencies. And for the 2023 budget, we included a section on digital payments of government financial transactions. This is related to the Executive Order No. 170 signed by then President Duterte – The Adoption of Digital Payments for Government Disbursements and Collections,” the budget chief pointed out.
She likewise noted that the implementation of digitalizing government frontline agencies is well underway as the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) is already being crafted.
“It’s now being prepared by the agencies and . . . it’s undergoing consultation. So hopefully, in a few weeks, we’ll have the IRR. And we’ll push for the digitalization,” she noted.
Of the P12.47 billion, the Department of Information and Technology (DICT) will receive the largest allocation amounting to P4.24 billion for its ICT systems and info structure development. Meanwhile, the Department of Finance (DOF) comes second with P3.56 billion, which is seen to help improve revenue collection.
(Photo courtesy of Blockchain and Bitcoin Conference Philippines)
