E-commerce group seeks gov’t help

The Digital Commerce Association of the Philippines (DCom) has sought government help to boost e-commerce in the Philippines and maximize this platform’s potential benefits to local businesses.

In a presentation at a stakeholders’ forum on Monday, DCom president Robertson Chiang said the group was pushing for increased access to basic Internet services such as in public areas like schools, libraries, community centers, and local government offices, and more affordable mobile data services.

Internet penetration in the Philippines today was pegged at 36 percent and the country’s online population was estimated at 35 million, data from the International Telecommunications Union showed.

Chiang also stressed the need to promote trust and security to assure users and merchants alike, and to have a one-stop shop resource center to streamline requirements and facilitation processes across government agencies including the Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the National Telecommunications Commission.

But one of the most important measures, according to Chiang, is for the Philippine government to set an example by offering government services online to show the benefits of e-commerce.

In 2012, the Philippine government launched the P470-million Integrated Government Philippines (iGovPhil) Project, which sought for a higher level of e-governance or the application of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to rationalize government operations and improve the delivery of goods and services to the people, data from its website showed.

iGovPhil is reportedly an “essential element in the implementation of the e-Government Master Plan of 2013-2016, which aims to improve processes in government to provide better services to both citizens and businesses, as well as promote public participation.”

The recommendations from DCom will be incorporated in the formulation of the first Philippine E-Commerce Roadmap, which is expected to be completed in six to 12 months, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said.