3. A whole-of-government approach
Overview
A number of participants identified issues regarding insufficient coordination of information, strategies and implementation within their own government agencies. The issue is particularly acute for online consumer protection, as it potentially engages a range of agencies including those responsible for telecommunications, consumer protection, police enforcement, business and economic advancement, international trade and the central bank. It was said that the relevant agencies tend to adopt a somewhat siloed approach to their areas of responsibility, which takes focus away from coordinating policies and approaches for dealing with issues such as online consumer protection.