Lawmaker pushes paperless transactions in government, LGUs

MANILA, Philippines - With the increasing efficiency and reliability in communications technology, Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara pushed yesterday for the implementation of wide paperless transactions in the national and local governments to save on costs and protect the environment.

“This (paperless transactions) is being implemented, although in limited ways, in both private and public sectors. This must be institutionalized with the corresponding reliable safeguards,” Angara said, adding that “technology is fast making paper irrelevant.”

He said if only government could soon pursue a paperless transaction policy, billions of pesos can be saved for the necessary education, health and environment programs now in dire need of funds.

“Paper is made from trees. So, paperless government transactions can create, in the long term, billions of pesos in savings and help fight climate change by saving our trees,” Angara said.

He said there is also a need for government and the private sector to intensify the campaign to promote recycling of recoverable materials and avoid the use of toxic plastics and related materials.

“We should intensify the information campaign and introduce concrete programs for the people to see and experience themselves. We can encourage and entice people to actively participate in environmental promotion programs if they see concrete no non-sense lead from government,” he said.

Angara said there must be a separate official body under the Office of the President that should oversee and coordinate the steps to be taken by the entire government bureaucracy to implement a step-by-step or gradual program to eliminate the wasteful and inefficient use of paper in government transactions.

“This (institutionalization of paperless transactions) should be done gradually, may be within five to 10 years,” Angara said.

He said his proposal is expected to meet strong resistance from the paper industry and its workers, but “we have to repaint our environment green.”

“This is why it must be implemented gradually to allow adjustments in priorities before climate change completely eliminates humanity,” he said, noting that official paper use could just be even less than 20 percent of the entire paper consumption in the country.