ARTA wants to institutionalize digital payments in state firms

MANILA, Philippines —The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) wants government agencies to make use of a digital payments system to provide ease in transactions.

ARTA director general Jeremiah Belgica said this move is in line with Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

“Transacting with the government has to be automated and electronically reachable end-to-end because if at any stage — submission of applications, receipt of assessments, payment, or release thereof — there is a need for physical processing at the concerned office, then it fails to achieve the goal of automation,” he said in a statement.

He said a partially automated system with manual processes is still considered manual.

As the Land Bank of the Philippines is offering services for digital payments, he said government agencies may consider using such since many of them have existing accounts with the government financial institution.

“We initially target to have our first 100 priority agencies tap the digital payments offered by Landbank in a bid to take away 50 percent of the problem in their processes,” he said.

He also urged other public banks to upgrade their online systems.

“We will be requesting for a meeting with them to discuss about digital payment or banking systems,” he said.

ARTA earlier called on local government units using the integrated business permits and licensing system for the electronic processing of applications and permits,  to use the Landbank’s e-payment facility called Link.BizPortal.

Through Landbank’s e-payment facility, clients can transact and make payments with the government and the private sector via the internet.

ARTA oversees the implementation of RA 11032 which seeks to streamline procedures in government services.