Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Towns urged to shorten biz processes
SIQUIJOR -- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Central Visayas Regional Director Asteria C. Caberte recently urged local government units in this province to streamline business processing and issuance of permits.
The call was made as part of the government's thrust to improve frontline services.
Lazi town, according to Municipal Mayor Orpheus Fua, has started the computerization of business processing this year as an initial step to Business Permits and Licensing Streamlining System (BPLS).
Larena and Siquijor towns, on one hand, committed to align the quality of their management system to ISO standards.
These are few of the commitments that came out during the presentation of harmonized Provincial SMED Plan recently.
Caberte said the province can replicate Cebu's initiative of providing a hassle-free business registration, permitting, and licensing with the setting up of a one-stop-shop office by the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (Nerbac) with the DTI as the lead agency.
This will reduce the processing time in securing business permits and narrow the possibility of red tape, she said, stressing that reduction of the cost of doing business with the government should be made top priority.
Recently, the DTI 7, Cebu City Government, and the four mandatory agencies that are involved in business registration, permitting, and licensing (BIR, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG) have finally made a "breakthrough" by setting up their respective desks at the Nerbac 7.
In a press release recently, Minerva Yap, DTI-Nerbac 7 manager, said new applicants can now file their DTI Business Name Registration simultaneously with Cebu City's Application for Business Permit (new applications only), SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-ibig and BIR Registration at the DTI-Nerbac 7.
She added that applicants for business permits and licenses are now spared from the hassles of going from one office to another for their businesses acquire legal entities saving them much needed time and resources.
Caberte's call echoes that of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
"The Philippines must be pro-active in luring investors to put up businesses in the Philippines," the President said in a statement as she urged foreign and local business communities to join hands with the government in building a stronger and better Philippines.
