A survey conducted by AIM found that for SMEs, regulatory compliance was perceived to be "moderately burdensome," with the BIR and LGUs seen as among the most difficult agencies to deal with.
A recent study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) revealed that certain policies and regulators have limited the ICT sector from gaining its full potential.
NEDA chief Ernesto Pernia said the Philippine Innovation Act will be a landmark legislation because innovation is an important driver of long-term growth, and that science and technology is key to making the Philippines a more competitive player in the global knowledge arena.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it has launched a number of initiatives aimed at establishing adequate safeguards to manage the potential risks brought by financial technologies (fintech) while providing enough room for companies to develop and implement their innovations.
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has unveiled an online appointment system that would allow Filipino seafarers to book the seafarer's identification and record book (SIRB) or the seaman's book.
DOST secretary Fortunato De la Pena said that under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), 45,000 MSMEs have been provided with technological assistance with an average productivity improvement of 38 percent that created 227,000 jobs.
The Philippines has the lowest share of mobile e-commerce traffic in Southeast Asia at 15% with Indonesia leading the pack with an 87% share followed by Vietnam at 26%.
Mobile advertising dominated the digital ad campaigns while on-target mobile ad performance outpaced digital ads served via desktop and total digital in 2017 in the Philippines.
The agency has stressed the need for the government to facilitate faster and strategic roll-out of ICT infrastructure in order to create more economic opportunities and meet the growing demand for structures and services, particularly in underserved areas.
