Strengthening the Ease of Doing Business Through Government and Business Collaboration
By Patrick Dayao
On March 2, 2022, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) spearheaded its first general membership meeting of the year, entitled “Strengthening the Ease of Doing Business Through Government and Business Collaboration”, which was attended by PCCI executives, members, and guests. The keynote speaker of the said event, Sec. Jeremiah B. Belgica of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), shared some updates and reiterated their commitment to achieving the country’s competitiveness and efficiency in the ease of doing business through a collaboration between the government and the business sector.
According to Sec. Belgica, Pres. Duterte has mandated all government agencies to simplify their processes and make all government offices responsive and client-friendly. In his 2019 SONA, the president reiterated his directive to the government and its instrumentalities, including LGUs and government-owned corporations — SIMPLIFY. Improving competitiveness and the ease of doing business is also part of Pres. Duterte’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda. It was his vision to make the lives of the Filipino people better. His drive and determination were ARTA’s inspiration in carrying out their mandate to make doing business in our country better and easier. He is always at the forefront of the fight against red tape, taking on extensive steps and streamlining processes in order to adopt a more efficient regulatory standard in the ease of doing business. I don’t know if you all agree to this as we still have been hearing a lot of corruption allegations and issues with PhilHealth, as well as irregular and unlawful activities happening at the Bureau of Customs, among others.
The PCCI and ARTA have been partners since ARTA’s inception in 2018. This partnership has brought them closer to reducing bureaucratic red tape, making business ventures in the country much easier. In fact, PCCI personnel were the first ones to be designated as ARTA champions. The ARTA champions program was first launched through the coordination of the Chamber and has now grown into a broader coalition among different sectors of society. The Chamber has also served as a go-between for ARTA and the business community. Furthermore, they have also established many communication channels in order to effectively address complaints from the private sector. It has also increased the information dissemination and promotion of Republic Act 11032 or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018”, which aims to streamline the current systems and procedures of government services.
It is because of PCCI’s partnership with ARTA that all of this became possible. PCCI established its presence in the business community through ARTA’s commitment to capacitate PCCI to handle ease of doing business and related complaints. This has always been their goal and their drive to ensure that the voice of the business sector is always heard and incorporated in the government’s effort to combat red tape and improve the ease of doing business in the country. The private sector, indeed, plays a huge role in fostering transparency and accountability in all government services. The private sector experiences all the effects of red tape first-hand and is best fit to say if different measures of ARTA are indeed taking full effect.
The collaboration between the private sector and the government fosters a systemic and strategic approach to improving the country’s competitiveness and efficiency in doing business. This effort has hastened business activities and has established a productive relationship between the two sectors by institutionalizing various reforms and streamlining initiatives. They seek our continuous help in expanding their campaign against red tape by participating in their programs and educating their contemporaries about ARTA’s measures against red tape and towards the ease of doing business, specifically with government permits and other bureaucratic processes.
Sec. Belgica highlighted that if a government agency fails to approve a business application within the prescribed number of days set by law, then it will be deemed approved for operation by the law. They cannot reason out that the signatory is on leave; in fact, some government officials are now facing cases filed by ARTA because of this. Data showed that as of February 2022, at least 8,507 applications and requests, that were submitted with complete requirements and payments but were not processed within the prescribed processing time, were declared automatically approved and renewed since 2019.
In closing, Sec. Belgica encouraged everyone to file a complaint whenever one encounters inefficiency in government services so that they would be able to take necessary actions. As they approach the tail end of this administration’s term, their commitment to serve the business community and further their partnership with private stakeholders continues to be a testament that the partnership between PCCI and ARTA is for the national good. All of this is in line with the president’s aspiration to provide a comfortable and convenient life for the Filipino people. As Sec. Belgica always says, “The reform train against red tape is now on the move. On it are the hopes of the people for a better Philippines. Anyone who chooses not to move will be run over.”
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About the author:
Patrick has been with John Clements for over 14 years now. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree. He spent his first 8 years with John Clements under the Accounting team before transitioning to the Sales team in 2015. He has a passion for backyard gardening and cooking for family and friends. He loves to play basketball, biking, bowling, and badminton.
