Rules on e-payments for gov’t transactions to be issued soon

Almost a decade after it passed an e-commerce law to govern online transactions in the country, the Philippines is close to creating a set of implementing rules for the use of electronic payments in government transactions. The draft guidelines are currently being finalized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which conducted a public consultation hearing on Tuesday, December 15, to gather inputs from industry stakeholders. The rules, once completed, will be issued as a “Joint Department Administrative Order (JDAO)" by the DTI and the Department of Finance (DOF). "Efficient and effective payment" sought Basically, the objective of the document is to “bring about a more efficient and effective payment and collection service for government transactions and to provide the transacting clients an additional payment option for transactions with the government." Under the proposed JDAO, government offices which have e-payment facilities will be authorized to charge a fixed “convenience fee" to clients for using an access device as alternative payment channel. Maria Lourdes Yaptinchay, supervising director of the E-Commerce Office of the DTI, said the draft guidelines are being drawn up in order for government offices to have a clear-cut framework on how to conduct e-payment transactions. “After the issuance of these rules, government offices will now have the proper guidelines as to how they will accept payments, not just through banks, but from other access devices such cash cards, credit cards, and mobile wallets," Yaptinchay said in an interview. online transactions, "offline" payments Although a number of government agencies are already conducting transactions online, payments are all made “offline." For instance, if a store owner wants to apply for business registration, he or she can file online but he or she would still have to go to a bank to pay. The official said her office started work on the draft rules last October and was originally eyeing to have it completed by this month. But with the Christmas break already setting in, the target date will almost certainly be moved to January, she said. Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard were not present at the consultation meeting, but Yaptinchay said she hopes to get the all the major stakeholders involved as the “government is a big client" to ignore. agencies not compelled to accept e-payments While the rules are intended to encourage government agencies to accept e-payments, they cannot be compelled to put up an e-payment gateway or facility if they don’t have funds for such project in the first place, the DTI exec said. Republic Act 8792, better known as the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000, was signed into law by then President Joseph Estrada in June 2000, but it is only now that its provision on “Electronic Payment and Collection System (EPCS)" in the government is being spelled out in a draft rules. - TJD, GMANews.TV