Welcome Remarks

Welcome Remarks

Director Merlita B. Mendiola

1^st GEPCSET Roadshow

Hotel Intercontinental, Makati

09.09.09

Good morning Honorable guests, colleagues from the government, ladies and gentlemen.

I am pleased to welcome you to the first Government Electronic Payment and Collections System Evaluation Team (GEPCSET) roadshow.

I would like to begin by saving a few words about the evolving role of electronic transactions in bolstering the stability and vitality of the Philippine economy/government. E-transactions do not provide only efficiency in service but promote transparency and great credibility in government financial system. There has been an increasing recognition across the world on the benefits and rewards of electronic systems particularly in making the government payment and collection operations stable and efficient. During the past decades manual recording of payment and collection transactions has been a vexing issue. The amounts of information being processed and administered are of great measure and magnitude. Theses information, if not properly managed, will greatly affect the coffers of the national government. Hence, the need to ensure proper management and administration is necessary.

In recognizing these needs, the government created the GEPCSET through a Joint Department Order from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Finance. The objectives of the GEPCSET, among others, is to create an environment conducive to electronic transactions to better manage the resources of the government and provide a more efficient payment option to the public in transaction with the government.

The GEPCSET has crafted operations guidelines for the EPCS in the National Government. And this, of course, is where you come in. Your participation in crafting an EPCS in your respective agency is encouraged to a great extent. It is our hope that we can make progress clarifying many issues with regard to EPCS in government. While fully recognizing the resources issues and the complexity of the work, we hope that we keep afloat with the challenges ahead of us in order to achieve common good for the government.

Again, let me express my appreciation for your participation and may we have a fruitful day ahead of us.

Maraming Salamat po.