Poe asks gov’t agencies to double efforts to fully digitize transactions

Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday called on heads of government agencies to double their efforts in making their services accessible online, so citizens and organizations can fully transact with them digitally as Covid-19 cases in the country continue to rise.

“Online transactions and services should be faster and could help government save money in the long run. We have been in this situation since March 2020 and there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” she said.

“Except for situations that require people to be physically present such as in capturing their biometrics, many other services should be done online,” the chairperson of the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies said.

The Department of Health reported a record-high 18,332 new Covid-19 cases yesterday (Aug. 23). The impact of the latest lockdown or enhanced community quarantine is not yet seen in the numbers.

“This is the pressing time to embark on the new normal, especially for government services. In the long run, the government can even realize savings from overhead expenses such as rent and utilities,” Poe said, adding: “This is also a good opportunity for the government to streamline its processes and cut red tape.”

Some of the agencies that should work double time on digitalization are the National Bureau of Investigation, the Land Transportation Office, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, among others, to avoid the long lines of people in these offices to get their clearances and licenses.

“Government agencies, however, should also invest on their systems so that they do not fall prey to hackers and compromise the personal information of their clients,” Poe said.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)