DICT launches amnesty program for 'colorum' delivery riders

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday announced it has launched a nationwide amnesty program for unregistered or "colorum" delivery service providers to fast track their formalization and regulation.

The DICT said in a news release that it formally introduced last August 26 the Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) online registration portal to make the registration of delivery riders and operators faster, modern, and transparent.

In line with this, the department called on unregistered PEMEDES providers to avail of its amnesty program to legalize their operations without penalties or fines.

The amnesty program was also in response to the growing e-commerce and app-based logistics sector, which also resulted in the increase in the number of informal delivery operators in the country.

The DICT said the benefits of the amnesty program are as follows:

• No penalties for previous violations — unregistered or colorum operators may register even with previous violations, without paying fines or facing administrative penalties 
• Fast and digital processing — applications are done through the PEMEDES application portal in which applicants can submit forms, use digital signature and monitor the status of their application as well as payment of fees
• Provisional Authority to Operate (PATO) — qualified applicants will be given a six-month provisional authority to operate while waiting for final decision on their full compliance
• Legal recognition and wider market reach — being a registered PEMEDES provider allows them to have greater access to opportunities as well as to consumer confidence and government support
• Assistance to small businesses — the program is designed to elevate MSMEs and individual riders through fair competition and ease of entry

The DICT said that through the PEMEDES application portal, the previous system of long lines and tedious red tape was replaced with a few clicks. — VDV, GMA Integrated News