THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) said local businesses will benefit if the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) regional office will be situated in the chamber’s building.

CCCI president Virgilio Espeleta said they are open to the idea since it would bring businesses closer to the Arta, the agency that checks the government’s performance in streamlining bureaucratic processes.

“The plan is to have a regional office with seven to eight Arta lawyers and professionals. Arta Deputy Director General Atty. Ernesto Perez is keen to hold office in a space we have in the CCCI building,” he told SunStar Cebu.

Under the Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Services Delivery Act of 2018, Arta is the body that will improve the quality of government services, promote transparency and cut red tape.

Arta will implement the prescribed processing time for business transactions.

The agency should finish simple transactions in three working days, seven days for complex ones, and 20 days for highly technical transactions.

Failure of an agency to finish within the prescribed number of days will mean automatic approval of the request.

“The advantage if Arta holds its office in the CCCI building is that the business group can easily coordinate with them on their concerns, especially in matters where government agencies and local government units delay transactions or make transaction costs heftier than what are legally required,” the CCCI president said.

If not inside the CCCI building, Espeleta suggested Arta can hold its office near or inside the Department of Trade and Industry, National Economic and Development Authority or Securities and Exchange Commission buildings.

The agency, however, is still waiting for its budget for it to launch full-blown regional operations throughout the country by 2020, Espeleta said.

Arta’s creation is also the administration’s response in pushing to improve the global business competitiveness ranking of the country to attract more foreign direct investments. (JOB)