Local government executives were among those charged for violating the Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Law, a top government official said recently.
In his visit in the city, Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino II said the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), the body overseeing the implementation of the new law, has filed cases against a governor, a mayor, some heads of both local and national government agencies for violating the new law.
This developed as Lambino said those agencies that President Rodrigo R. Duterte called out during his state of the nation address for their inefficiency have instituted reforms to streamline their operations.
“The five agencies that received the most number of complaints through 8888 are being monitored carefully, and not only that, ARTA is actually providing them with coaching advice on how to improve their services for citizens,” he said.
Duterte called out government agencies like Land Transportation Office, Social Security System, Land Registration Authority, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Home Development Mutual Fund, to “drastically” improve their services or face the consequences.
Among the violations committed by those facing complaints was their failure to implement computerization.
John Carlo B. Tria, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the failure of the agencies to computerize “has created some uncertainties on the issuance (of business permits).”
“Some people already know that the EDB Law already compels them to prepare and release whatever documents within a certain number of days pero bakit lumalampas, yan yung number one concern nila,” said Tria.
He added that it is especially concerning because there have been investors expressing their plans of setting up businesses in the region and that the failure of local government units to comply with the law might become hurdle in their plans.
Lambino reassured that the grievances of the members of the business community are heard through the business chambers all over the country and the ARTA.
“I am happy to share that the chambers around the Philippines and the ARTA are gonna be working closely together so that the suggestions, the complaints, the grievances of members of the business community can be heard directly through the chambers,” he said.
