BUSINESS owners in Cebu City no longer have to wait too long to get their permits.
Mayor Edgardo Labella has issued an executive order (EO) directing the Business Permit and Licensing Office and the City Treasurer’s Office to process and release permits, clearances and licenses within one working day from the submission of the applicants’ requirements.
“It is the thrust of the City to promote ease of doing business, streamlining and expediting the necessary processes to provide a much better experience for its constituents,” Labella said.
However, the requirements should be complete and accurate.
In securing a business permit, the requirements include a filled-out application form, assessment sheet with official receipt of payment, barangay clearance, Department of Trade and Industry and Securities and Exchange Commission certificate of registration, community tax certificates of employees, occupational tax or professional tax of employees and Bureau of Internal Revenue Form 0605 for annual registration, among others.
Business establishments that have public health safety and security concerns will be issued provisional business permits while they comply with the requirements within a 60-day period.
Section 3 of the EO states that all other regulatory requirements, including but not limited to fire inspection certificate and sanitation permit, shall not be dispensed with and shall be complied with by owners of business within a period of 60 calendar days from issuance of final business permit, subject to extension for valid and compelling reasons.
Business permits of applicants who fail to comply with the requirements within the given period will be automatically revoked.
City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. had said that the release of business permits was delayed since the issuance of fire and sanitary certificates took time.
The EO is in line with Republic Act (RA) 11032, or An act promoting ease of doing business and efficient delivery of government services, amending for the purpose RA 9485, which requires the local government units to implement guidelines in order to streamline such processes.
“RA 11032 further requires all offices and agencies which provide government agencies to undergo evaluation and improvement of their transaction systems and procedures and to re-engineer these systems and procedures if deemed necessary to reduce bureaucratic red tape and processing time,” a part of the EO reads.
The EO will take effect as soon as possible.