TACLOBAN CITY: The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) will be sending notices to local government units (LGUs) that are still non-compliant with Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act passed into law in 2018.
‘On or before August 15, we will send out notices to explain to all non-compliant local governments why they are not able to comply. But even before that, we had instructed our offices to conduct inspections in cities and towns and require them to submit their action plans,’ ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez said in an interview here Thursday.
Of the 1,634 cities and towns throughout the country, at least 48 local governments have been recognized by the agency for compliance.
A city or town is considered compliant if it is able to set up an electronic Business One-Stop Shop (eBOSS).
The shop streamlines the procedures for the filing of applications and issuance of local business licenses, permits, clearances, and authorizations through the LGU’s provisi
on and usage of an on-demand, single, digital portal.
‘If they are not able to explain the reason why they are non-compliants, then we have no other option but to conduct an appropriate investigation and file the necessary charges either with the Office of the Ombudsman or the Civil Service Commission,’ Perez added.
He said that being a low-income class municipality is not a hindrance to implementing the law because there are areas that belong to 4th and 6th class municipalities that managed to comply.
Among these are the towns of Guinsiliban in Camiguin, a 6th-class municipality, and the town of San Roque in Northern Samar province, a 4th-class municipality.
‘It really requires political will on the part of the mayor. If the mayor decides and directs the Business Permit and Licensing Office and the barangay, they will comply; they will follow the mayor,’ Perez said.
Although ARTA has only commended 48 local governments as of this week, Perez clarified that it does not mean that others are non-compliant.
The ARTA chief said they are currently coordinating with the Department of the Interior and Local Government to provide them with a list of compliant areas to harmonize with their data.
Source : Philippines News agency
