Duterte signs Ease of Doing Business Act
Filipinos can now expect faster government transactions, as President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 11032, otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018.
The law, which will reduce processing time of business transactions with government agencies, was signed by the president in a ceremony in Malacañang on May 28, 2018.
“This law will introduce simplified requirements and streamlined procedures that will finally spare our people from the intolerable waiting time and long lines in frontline government agencies,” said Duterte in his speech.
RA 11032 ensures more efficient transactions
RA 11032 mandates government agencies, as well as government-owned and controlled corporations, to process simple transactions in three working days; complex transactions in seven working days; and highly technical transactions in 20 working days.
Moreover, under the law, signatories in applications for licenses, clearance, and permits will be limited to three.
The law also requires all local government units (LGU) to utilize a unified business application form in order to streamline procedures for issuing clearance, business permits, and other types of authorization.
LGUs are also mandated under RA 11032 to establish one-stop shops where business permit applications can be facilitated. A Central Business Portal tasked to receive and capture application data on business-related transactions will be set up as well.
New law aims to fight corruption
RA 11032 amends the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, which failed “to solve the bureaucratic red tape in government institutions.”
With all the rules under the new law, it is certainly a milestone in the nation’s fight against graft and corruption within government agencies. Moreover, RA 11032 is expected to yield countless opportunities for businesses from all industries and of all sizes.
The new law also proves to be very timely, as the Philippines ranked 113th out of 190 countries in terms of ease of doing business in a recent survey by the World Bank.
Thanks to the proponents of the bill, the country now has a better shot at improving not just its ease of doing business rank, but its policies on eradicating government systems and processes that spur corruption.
RA 11032 were authored by Reps. Ferjenel Biron (4th District, Iloilo), Luis Raymond Villafuerte (2nd District, Camarines Sur), Vilma Santos-Recto (6th District, Batangas), Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City), Arthur Yap (3rd District, Bohol), Gus Tambunting (2nd District, Parañaque City), and Manuel Zubiri (3rd District, Bukidnon).
