Lawmakers urged to fast-track passage of e-governance bills

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers should act fast on the e-governance bills that President Marcos has committed to certify as urgent, as these would ensure the efficient and transparent delivery of government programs and services, an advocacy group said.

“These bills will fundamentally change the way public services are delivered to ordinary citizens, big and small businesses, and communities,” said Orlando Oxales, co-convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines.

The e-government and e-governance bills have been pending at the committee level in both the House of Representatives and the Senate since August 2022.

“The proposed E-Governance/ E-Government Acts strike at the core of our nation’s bid to ride the wave of digital technology. They are a tool and an enabler for people and societies to thrive and prosper, and also for our leaders to govern us better,” Oxales said.

The e-governance bill institutionalizes the transition of the government to e-governance, creating a policy to create, foster, and sustain a digitally empowered and integrated government. This, in turn, will ensure responsive and transparent online citizen-centered services for a globally competitive nation.

On Jan.  12, President Marcos met with the Digital Infrastructure Sector of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) and committed to certify the proposed E-Governance Act of 2022 as urgent.

“CitizenWatch believes that the objectives of the bills – interoperability of operations and services, digitization of records and data of agencies, establishment of an online payment system for government transactions, automation of business registration and licensing related transactions as well as payment of taxes and accounting systems – are crucial to the delivery of basic public services and the implementation of much-needed projects that would boost our economy and hence the quality of life of our people,” Oxales said.

The private sector, through the PSAC, has made recommendations to the bill and has added provisions that would make it more responsive and effective.

“Harnessing the private sector’s more advanced experience and expertise in optimizing the utility of digital technologies will be critical,” Oxales said. “Our bureaucracy has been trapped too long in its outdated processes and could use the innovative insights of the business community.”

“We need the e-Governance/ e-Government Acts to enable the fast transformation of our government from the slow and obsolete bureaucratic gauntlet of red tape to a digitized system that can deliver public services effectively and swiftly,” he added.