Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman has assured support for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) digitalization initiative in its system of governance.
Secretary Pangandaman made the statement at the recent conduct of consultation on BARMM Digital Transformation of Government on 17 February 2023. The activity was attended by key representatives from BARMM, and officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
“Rest assured that we, at the national government and the whole ICT sector, are in full support of your goal to achieve a sound, systematic, transparent, and accountable form of governance,” Sec. Pangandaman said.
In her message, the Budget Secretary also reiterated that digital transformation will play a key role in achieving inclusive growth for every Filipino by strengthening intergovernmental connections, enhancing transparency in governance, and ensuring bureaucratic efficiency.
She added that the DBM has a Digital Transformation Roadmap which aims to create one primary tool and a single source of truth for all fiscal-related transactions; promote fiscal transparency, management, and accountability in government; prevent red-tape and other corruption-related activities through paperless transactions; and reduce government expenses intended for manual transactions.
Similarly, Secretary Pangandaman noted that the national government is pushing for the passage of the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized (PBBM) Governance Bill, which aims to modernize the budgeting system encompassing the Philippine public financial management process.
"We want to make sure that BARMM will not be left behind in all these endeavors" Sec. Pangandaman said, adding that BARMM has also been carrying out several digitalization initiatives that will improve the ease of doing business and help activate savings priority programs in the region. These include the adaptation of the Digitized Official Receipt System, and the event’s discussions on payment transactions, email transmissions, account management, and verification system.
"I would like to call on everyone—from the national and the Bangsamoro government—to collaborate, consult with one another, and support each other so that our vision of digital transformation will become a reality that will help realize our Agenda for Prosperity—for Mindanao and the entire country," Secretary Pangandaman said.
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