LTO on 96th year launches two IT-aided programs

By Riza T. Olchondra - Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) marked its 96th anniversary on Thursday with the launch of two technology-aided innovations.

The LTO on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement to interconnect its vehicle registration database with the Bureau of Customs' (BOC) payment database for imported vehicles.

The interconnection will enable the implementation of a second program, the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Project.

Under this project, registered vehicles will be issued RFID stickers that store vehicle data, including such details as whether it has an authenticated certificate of payment from the BOC and whether it complies with registration requirements such as low smoke emission.

For public utility vehicles, the RFID tag will also contain its franchise details from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

LTO chief Alberto Suansing said that aside from improving compliance, the interconnection and RFID projects are expected to help improve revenue for the agencies involved.

"Millions of pesos in potential government revenue are lost annually due to non-compliance with vehicle registration requirements," he said, adding the projects will help plug tax leakages.