Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, has organised “11th Year with ETDA – an Important Step to Build a Better Digital Life with Digital Technology” showcasing highlight successes in driving Thailand’s electronic transactions in 2021. At the same time as an important step in 2022, revealed the mission “Build a Better Digital Life with Digital Technology” highlighting four mega projects including Digital Service Management, Digital ID Utilisation, the ETDA Sandbox for Reliable Innovation, and expanding cooperation to create an opportunity to step into the online world where everyone feels confident.
Mr. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, stated that the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, as a Ministry that plays an important role in supporting the use of digital technology in economy and society, together with agencies under the Ministry, especially the ETDA, an agency that support a secure and reliable electronic transaction, has jointly performed important duties and promoting the use of digital transaction. This is because an electronic transaction is one of an important part that affect the growth rate of the Thai Economy. This can be seen through the most recent figure from Thailand’s e-commerce market value survey by the ETDA, which predicted that, at the end of 2021, Thailand’s e-commerce value is likely to reach 4.01 trillion baht, a 6.11% increase from 2020. This is the result of the government’s policy to support the creation of information fundamentals to create an ecosystem that facilitates secure electronic transactions and build confidence in the utilisation, anywhere and anytime, continuously.
Dr. Chaichana Mitrpant, Executive Director of Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), commented that the Electronic Transaction Strategic Plan 2021-2022, a framework to drive online business transactions, has the main mission to create an ecosystem that facilitates secure electronic transactions covering all areas, as well as the future. Therefore, the ETDA, as an agency thriving to lift up the life of Thais with digital and driving economy and society with the electronic transaction, has devoted itself to support and encourage electronic transactions to uplift the life of Thais into an efficient online world, especially, during 2021 where the ETDA has reinforce various important events in three dimensions, as follows:
- 1st Dimension: NATIONAL POLICY – set country’s direction and drive electronic transaction adhering to the Electronic Transaction Strategic Plan 2021-2022, consisting of 4 strategies as the mechanisms that drive Thailand’s digital transaction and building on (Draft) the Electronic Transaction Strategic Plan 2023-2027, the direction of setting up Thai digital standards that correspond to international standards. This is for all sectors to set consistent standards or rules and a framework for developing digital identity verification and verification services (Digital ID framework) as an important step towards the digital world.
- 2nd Dimension: DIGITAL SERVICE – to reinforce conservation mechanism, business elevation and digital services through the projection of the Digital Service Landscape in Thailand showing ETDA’s digital services that are important and necessary for Co-Creation Regulator that corresponds to the real world and reinforce (Draft) the Royal Decree on the supervision of Digital Platform Services subjected to prior notification B.E., together with all stakeholders to create transparency, fairness and reliability of services, recently, approved in the meeting of the Cabinet of Thailand. This will also decrease the limitation of Work from Home with the creation of the Guidelines for e-Meeting and e-Voting that is secure and supported by the law. It also aims to encourage all sectors to operate with e-Office by being a pilot agency to use e-Saraban before expanding it to another agencies under the Ministry of Digital Affairs and shifting from paper documents to e-Document in more than 38 governmental departments and digital business partners. This is also to uplift SMEs with digital technology through e-Solution Project setting the fundamental of knowledge, creating the awareness of the importance of work transitions and organising the Hackathon Forum seeking for innovations in e-Office amongst Thai service providers. Additionally, building confidence in Digital Services through the ETDA Sandbox mechanism, innovations testing, to create a Guarantee before providing services. Lastly, adjusting the rules for applying, not limited to just state-private, unlimited application cycles, and focus on jointly creating innovations.
- 3rd Dimension: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT – develop Thai people and support business sector – online transaction by developing Workforce in e-Transaction for everyone to support the digital market era, such as encouraging a new generation to become “Community Digital Coach” to expand Trainers networks, now covering 4 regions with more than 1,899 people. Encourage Thai people to become quality digital citizens who use the Internet creatively and be aware of online threats, under the “Internet for better life” project (the digital citizen course), such as learning media (cartoons, short films, Infographic). ETDA has provided online consumer protection channel through the Online Complaint Center 1212 OCC that utilises Social Listening technology to help analyse ‘listen to the echoes of consumers’ linking information between departments aiding in protection and assistance, which over 85% of the cases have been fixed. The lessons are derived from international forums for various sectors with a database to define business planning and marketing policies.
For the next step in 2022, stepping into the 11th year, the ETDA has revamped its corporate image and developed a new mission to Build a Better Digital Life with Digital Technology and Online Transactions. The ETDA is ready to continue the work in 2021, intensifying the level of work, allowing digital technology to help people to grow forward better than ever, especially in the four highlight mega projects the ETDA places emphasis on: 1. Regulate and supervise the Digital Service Business – reinforcing the enforcement of (Draft) the Royal Decree on the supervision of Digital Platform Services subjected to prior notification B.E., to reduce governance overlap by building collaboration between key regulators and also preparing to build a framework for the development of viable regulatory processes.
Moving to the next highlight, 2. Build credibility in the transaction with digital identity verification (Digital ID) by creating awareness on the importance of Digital ID through the “MeID” campaign to drive concrete usage with innovations that have been tested by the ETDA Sandbox, as well as encouraging the Regulators to actively drive Digital ID in the same direction via the Digital ID framework. For the next part, 3. Build confidence in using innovation through the ETDA Sandbox testing field, adapting its role to become a Co-sandbox, merging innovation testing cooperation with the Bank of Thailand expanding the scope of innovation testing that covers innovations in Health Tech and AI, and driving operations that correspond to the governmental policy of Face Verification System (FVS).
The final emphasis, 4. Expand cooperation to create opportunities to jointly solve the pain point of society and step into a digital world where everyone is confident through accelerating the creation of digital services in the government sectors, such as supporting the use of Digital Signatures in the ministry, expanding the e-Saraban system to other government agencies to achieve higher mutual information exchange. Together, the ETDA is ready to support SMEs to create business matching increasing the use of innovations in e-Office and improving business processes. This also includes the comprehensive uplift of the people in the community with various course manuals accessible to everyone, continuing to continue to raise awareness, encouraging the introduction of Digital Citizen courses and manuals to become a Trainer. Lastly, the ETDA is ready to enhance consumer protection with proactive work.
Source: JC&CO Communications
