Big business groups push creation of DICT

SIXTEEN local and foreign business groups have pressed President Aquino to sign into law the bill creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

The groups said the passage would boost the Philippines’ position in a growing global IT market.

“This very important bill will help position the Philippines as a world leader in this growing dominant sector of the global economy. The Philippines is already a world leader in business process management, employing some one million young people in well-paying jobs,” the groups said in a joint statement Thursday.

“We look forward to the President’s signing into law the creation of the department with a young dynamic leader, and the introduction of a supplementary budget in the 2016 national budget so the department can move ahead as soon as possible,” the statement said.

The Philippine Business Groups and Joint Foreign Chambers (PBG-JFC) have commended the Senate and House of Representatives for passing the bill creating the DICT. This was a priority bill of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr.

Committee chairpersons who shepherded the bill were Sen. Ralph G. Recto (Science and Technology), Rep. Romeo M. Acop (Government Reorganization), Rep. Susan A. Yap (Information and Communications Technology) and Rep. Isidro T. Ungab (Appropriations).

The JFC earlier said the establishment of a DICT was expected to consolidate the Philippines’ position as a globally competitive investment destination. Benefits of having this department included having a more effective implementation of e-governance, data protection and cybersecurity measures, as well as increased efficiency and reduction of costs for the government.

The proposed DICT’s primary mandate is the efficient management of relevant government ICT-related functions and programs which are currently assumed by numerous agencies, the JFC earlier stated.

“E-governance can be implemented more effectively at a national level under a DICT. This will result in increased transparency, efficiency, clarity for foreign investors and a significant decrease in the administrative burden for companies, which will in turn encourage compliance through easier processes,” the JFC said.

In establishing a DICT, the Philippines will also join the over 80 percent of countries that have dedicated stand-alone government bodies on ICT.

The country will also drive the modernization of business processes and establish the necessary criteria for the Philippines to remain a global leader in the IT-business process management and knowledge process management industries.

Signatories to the joint statement include Alyansa Agrikultura; Chamber of Mines of the Philippines; Employers Confederation of the Philippines; Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc.; Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines; IT and Business Processing Association of the Philippines; Makati Business Club; Management Association of the Philippines; Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.; American Chamber of Commerce; Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce; Canadian Chamber of Commerce; European Chamber of Commerce; Japanese Chamber of Commerce; Korean Chamber of Commerce; Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc.