THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in a bid to develop the ICT sector amid the growth of the business process outsourcing industry.
Under House Bill (HB) 4667, the new agency will take over the
telecommunications functions of the Department of Transportation and
Communications (DoTC).
The DICT shall be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing and administrative entity of the government in the promotion and development of the country’s ICT sector.
“The creation of [an] Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department will enhance our competitiveness in the ICT industry and the world. This will mean that the government will have focus in developing the ICT sectors,” Eastern Samar Rep. Ben P. Evardone, vice-chairman of the ICT committee and author of one of the DICT bills, said in an interview.
“This will also make sure that government regulations will be constantly updated to keep up with the trends,” Mr. Evardone added.
Under the proposed law, DICT will assume the communications-related functions of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) and will absorb the Commission on Information and Communications Technology under the Office of the President.
The proposed new department will absorb three DoTC offices, namely: the National Computer Center, the Telecommunications Office and the Communications Planning Service division. It also provides for an electronic government (e-government) fund, which is a special account in the general fund, created specifically for cross-agency government ICT projects. It will be used to support and co-finance projects that enable the government to conduct activities electronically and provide frontline services through the use of emerging technologies.
The bill has long been pushed by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines and the Joint Foreign Chambers who said in its list of priority measures submitted to Congress that the country needs a Cabinet-level department to lead the government efforts in promoting the development of IT and business process outsourcing capabilities.
The counterpart Senate Bill 50 is pending at the committee level. -- Noemi M. Gonzales
http://bit.ly/sOhY4Y
The DICT shall be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing and administrative entity of the government in the promotion and development of the country’s ICT sector.
“The creation of [an] Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department will enhance our competitiveness in the ICT industry and the world. This will mean that the government will have focus in developing the ICT sectors,” Eastern Samar Rep. Ben P. Evardone, vice-chairman of the ICT committee and author of one of the DICT bills, said in an interview.
“This will also make sure that government regulations will be constantly updated to keep up with the trends,” Mr. Evardone added.
Under the proposed law, DICT will assume the communications-related functions of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) and will absorb the Commission on Information and Communications Technology under the Office of the President.
The proposed new department will absorb three DoTC offices, namely: the National Computer Center, the Telecommunications Office and the Communications Planning Service division. It also provides for an electronic government (e-government) fund, which is a special account in the general fund, created specifically for cross-agency government ICT projects. It will be used to support and co-finance projects that enable the government to conduct activities electronically and provide frontline services through the use of emerging technologies.
The bill has long been pushed by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines and the Joint Foreign Chambers who said in its list of priority measures submitted to Congress that the country needs a Cabinet-level department to lead the government efforts in promoting the development of IT and business process outsourcing capabilities.
The counterpart Senate Bill 50 is pending at the committee level. -- Noemi M. Gonzales
http://bit.ly/sOhY4Y
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