But it’s good to know that at least one controversial government agency has been doing a lot better since the advent of computerization. And if the Land Transportation Office is making a lot of headway in improving its services to motor vehicle owners and in stamping out fraud and corruption, that’s because it has embraced computer technology.
The deal between the LTO and Stradcom Corp. stands out as a fine example of how computerization, if implemented properly, will redound to efficient and affordable service that does not cost the government (meaning, us) an arm and a leg. The ongoing $80-million computerization program has successfully networked and automated nearly 300 LTO field offices nationwide, where motor vehicle owners and motorists can easily avail of services that they could only get before if they went through “fixers” and were willing to wait for unconscionable amounts of time.
Before the LTO-Stradcom project, motorists could only re-register their vehicles or renew their licenses only at the office where these were done originally. Now these basic and very necessary services are provided at any LTO field office in the country, save for those infrequent times when the system is down.
We take it for granted now, but it’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, the renewal of a driver’s license took anywhere from three to six months. With computerization, any licensed driver can now get his licensed renewed in an hour.
Renewing the registration of one’s vehicle used to take an entire day. Now that unavoidably (and formerly unavoidably bothersome) task just takes a couple of hours or less.
For the government, which did not spend a single peso for the LTO computerization program implemented under the build-operate-transfer law, the automation of motor vehicle records has also led to increased and more efficiently collected revenues. In the past 10 years, the LTO’s income and number of transactions have doubled, even if its manpower complement has remained basically the same.
The success of the LTO-Stradcom computerization program has not escaped the notice of local and international observers. The project, which is the only government program with a coveted ISO:2001 quality certification, has won numerous citations, including the Philippine e-Government award, the Global Laureate of Washington, DC-based Computerworld and other awards for innovation, security and overall excellence.
From time to time, people with political agendas or other ulterior motives attempt to find fault with the LTO-Stradcom project, with no success. As early as five years ago, the Commission on Audit has categorically ruled that the project is not disadvantageous to the government or the taxpayers.
CoA noted that Stradcom spent billions of pesos to set up the program without any guarantees from the government, for which it charges motorists a reasonable fee. Stradcom also won the bidding for the computerization by presenting the lowest offer (P120) compared to the proposal of Japanese computer giant Fujitsu, which proposed to charge motorists P299 per transaction.
While its detractors have also taken issue with the tax holiday given to the company, government auditors have also said that this was only fair because Stradcom was a pioneer in government computerization. The tax holiday ended in 2008, and Stradcom declares that it has been religiously paying all applicable local and national taxes since that time.
Meanwhile, Stradcom reported in its audited financial statement for 2009 that it has only given a five percent return on investment to its owners. That’s way below the 20-25 percent allowed by the National Economic Development Authority for companies that enter into BOT contracts with the government.
The company and its partner the LTO acknowledge that there are still areas where the system can be improved, including the aforementioned times when the computer system is on the blink and transactions have to be done the old and slow, manual way. But both partners are committed to upgrading their system and services – and will continue to serve as the model of government-private sector ventures involving computerization.
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Congress deserves congratulations for approving on the bicameral committee level the much-needed Freedom of Information bill that seeks to strengthen the people’s right to access government records. If Congress ratifies the reconciled bill next week, the measure will only need the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to become a law.
The Senate panel, headed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, head of the House contingent, have done a great service to everyone who wants to get information from the government. The bill recognizes the right of the people to information on matters of public concern and adopts a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, subject to some limitations such as those which involve national security such as ongoing military or police operations and draft documents of judicial proceedings.
Under the bill, all government agencies are required allow the scrutiny, copying and reproduction of all information pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as government research data used as basis for policy development, regardless of their physical form or format in which they are contained and by whom they were made.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Jojo Robles
Quelle/Source: Manila Standard Today, 22.01.2010
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