The Philippines needs to address constraints in investments, especially in telecommunications and logistics, to help the country take advantage of the digital economy, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said on Thursday. The poor and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) “suffer unequal access to digital platforms due primarily to poor connectivity. For example, penetration of fixed-broadband connection is low because of unstable, slow, and expensive internet connection,” he added. Also, 60 percent of households still do not have access to the internet, the PCC chief said. Balisacan said the lack of digital awareness and trust in digital services also constrains the effective use of these platforms and the digital transformation of MSMEs.

Source: Manila Times January 14, 2021 16:31 UTC