The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which has regulatory powers over courier and delivery firms, recently gathered the industry’s local players to discuss pressing matters surrounding the sector.
DICT acting secretary Manny R. Caintic led the meeting with the couriers, which it calls PEMEDES or Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service operators, to relay the agency’s intent to streamline the operational processes as part of its anti-red tape efforts.
According to the DICT, PEMEDES are service providers delivering courier services that utilize mobile applications or information and communications technology (ICT)-aided mediums.
“PEMEDES stakeholders are crucial players in our digital transformation agenda, especially with the steady reopening and recovery of the country’s economy. The doors of DICT are always open for you for any assistance that you may require on our end,” Caintic said during the meeting.
The DICT serves as the regulatory authority over the postal delivery services industry and is responsible for the issuance of authority to operate for PEMEDES operators.
During the consultation, Caintic emphasized his expectations from the PEMEDES industry players as a regulating body, telling them to:
- To ensure “walang magnanakaw, walang mananakawan”;
- Deliver on time in accordance with customers’ expectations and for the operators to fulfill service level;
- To never transport anything illegal.
Teh DICT chief said that if these requests are met, the operators are assured that they will be accorded faster application process.
“Private messengerial and courier services are riding the growth brought about by e-commerce in the country. By 2024, the logistics market alone is set to reach over 1 trillion pesos. By improving the ease of doing business of companies that are entering this space, we are enabling companies that will bring thousands of jobs to our Filipino citizens, providing numerous options to our online sellers, and improving the competitiveness of this sector,” Caintic said.
“These are just some of the measures I have approved to better improve the regulatory environment in the ICT space. I have instructed my officials and staff to best ensure that our processes and procedures are efficient, effective, and red-tape free,” he added.
As a first step to creating a better regulatory environment for the PEMEDES industry, Caintic issued a department circular that will streamline the registration, regulation, and monitoring of PEMEDES operators, independent tower companies (ITCs), and satellite service providers and operators (SSPOs).
Caintic also addressed the concerns of the PEMEDES industry players such as the removal of unnecessary requirements for application to expedite and standardize the process. The operators also requested to standardize and delineate the processes for new applications, renewal, acquisition, and expansion.
A rider’s database to provide shared information among PEMEDES operators on their partner riders was also pushed to deter riders with delinquent records from simply transferring from one operator to another.
Caintic also shared DICT’s partnership with Google to simplify the requirements submission system for the PEMEDES stakeholders. This partnership was already proven during the data management of the national vaccination records.
He assured the PEMEDES operators that he will review the existing processes and take note of the suggestions made by the operators.
“A good law solves problems or mitigates risks. I will not burden you with unnecessary requirements as we would like to make the process easier for you,” he asserted.
