ARTA pushes anti-red tape committee in gov't agencies
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is pushing for the implementation and creation of a Committee on Anti-Red Tape (CART) in government agencies to ensure that they are following the guidelines of the Ease of Doing Business Act.
In a statement, ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica said the creation of a CART in government agencies will help establish a national network of regulatory reforms within the government and will be concentrated in addressing inefficiency and red tape matters within their own backyard.
"The President's directive to 'cut red tape' is a directive to all agencies and instrumentalities of the government which is why all of us must improve fast," he said.
"More than anything else, the battle against red tape ultimately involves a change in paradigm from a regulatory mindset into a more citizen-centric mindset," he added.
ARTA issued a memorandum circular issued last Sept. 30 directing all government agencies, including state universities, local government units (LGUs), government-owned or -controlled corporations, and other government instrumentalities in the Philippines and abroad providing services covering business and non-business related transactions to designate a CART.
The designated CART shall be tasked to ensure that the agency will comply with the provisions of the Ease of Doing Business Act, its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), and with subsequent issuances by ARTA. Its creation is mandated under Section 1 of the law’s IRR which states that each agency shall designate a unit to perform streamlining and reengineering of systems and procedures.
Among others, the CART shall conduct compliance cost analysis, time and motion studies, evaluation, and improvement of all the agency’s systems and procedures to reduce bureaucratic red tape and processing time.
The CART will also be responsible for periodically reviewing the agency’s Citizen’s Charter and ensuring that the agency strictly complies with the 3-7-20 prescribed processing time for transactions and the zero-contact policy.
Republic Act (RA) 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act says government offices should process simple transactions for only three days; complex transactions, seven days; and high technical transactions, 20 days.
A CART is comprised of a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and at least five other members. The head of the agency or at least be the third highest-ranking official in the agency shall serve as the committee’s chairperson.