e-BOSS raises tax collection by 30 percent

Aiming to continuously increase its revenue and provide faster services to business owners, the Lapu-Lapu City Government has implemented a faster way to transact applications for business permits, targeting to complete the process in just 10 minutes.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan aims to digitally transform Lapu-Lapu’s landscape by institutionalizing the electronic Business One Stop Shop or e-BOSS to issue business permits and licenses conveniently.

The program is mandated under Republic Act 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business Law.

Chan said the City’s implementation of the e-BOSS program has “resulted in the monumental” increase of Lapu-Lapu City’s revenue collection, estimated at about 30 percent.

“Our revenue has gone up. We’ve seen a rise in businesses and property taxes. It has a very big impact. I think our revenue collection increased by more than 30 percent,” said Chan in Cebuano.

He added that this will also help interested clients living in far-flung areas to access the benefits of the digital program in their online business permit applications.

“We really want those living far away like even in just Olango (island) to pay their businesses taxes and at the same time, they can save because they don’t have to pay for fares. It’s really a big change,” said Chan.

This endeavor was raised during the City’s Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting and Awarding of PinasBilis eBoss Package at the Sheraton Mactan Cebu Resort on June 21, 2024 attended by Secretary Ernesto Perez of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta).

Saying that the digitalization process will fight red tape, he also urged other local government units to comply with the mandate.

“The electronic business one-stop shop is a very good program. We have proven that we can fight red tape corruption by streamlining the digitalization process. It can be done through this electronic business one-stop shop. Other LGUs who have not complied till now have no reason not to comply,” said Perez in Tagalog

Before Lapu-Lapu City’s implementation of the e-BOSS program last year, business permits were processed for around three to five days.

Other digital programs include the automated system called the Electronic Government Integrated City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) System or eGICS that shortens the waiting time for assistance.

All local government units are mandated to implement the eBOSS. / DPC