NDC seeks Japan aid for e-Government Center

The National Development Co. (NDC) has asked the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to finance the P4.76 billion e-Government Program Development and first e-Government Center project for the Philippines.

The e-Government Center, to be located at Fort Bonifacio’s Global City, will serve as a basic structure to facilitate the implementation of projects in the Government Information Systems Plan (GISP) framework.

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II said that under the planned GISP, online users can interact and access the Philippine government’s information and services.

Roxas said that at this time when the economy is reeling from uncertainties in the global market, "the government needs to exert every effort to enhance its competitive lead by increasing efficiency and saving transaction time for its clients."

The GISP is intended to develop applications to integrate government institution systems and provide an online inter-agency frontline information service.

It would also be a storehouse of data from various government institutions.

The NDC and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) will form a joint venture to oversee the construction and implementation of the e-Government Center.

The joint venture will be supported by the Information Technology and e-Commerce Council (ITECC) and the National Computer Center.

The government agencies which are seen to be the first to benefit from the GISP are the Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the BCDA.

The GISP will feature the following systems: business name and investment registration system; business monitoring system; trade and investment geographic information system and other related systems.