The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Philippines Inc. (FICCI) have sought continued existence of the Anti Red Tape Authority (ARTA) citing the agency’s major accomplishments in the fight against corruption for being the only government agency that has taken “serious and concrete” measures to curb red tape in the government.
The Indian business group issued this statement amid the call of the Office of the Ombudsman to abolish ARTA. FICCI noted that since the enactment of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (Republic Act No. 11032) (“Ease of Doing Business Law”) that created ARTA, the business community has observed and enjoyed dramatic improvements in the provision of services by various government agencies.
The statement signed by FICCI President Rex Daryanani noted that with “all due respect” they are taking “very serious note” of the recent pronouncement by the Ombudsman at the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on September 27, 2022.
FICCI identified the pronouncements of the Ombudsman including that even if given a budget of P100 billion, that would not be enough to fight corruption and that the Office of the Ombudsman itself is fighting corruption within its office.
Also, FICCI noted that “there is just one program that the Ombudsman has forgotten for the past 30 years or more, that is, to address the causes of inefficiency and red tape.”
In addition, Ombudsman said the law that created ARTA should be repealed because ARTA has “encroached on the powers of the Ombudsman to determine the causes of inefficiency and red tape in the government.”
Moreover, FICCI noted that the policies that the Office of the Ombudsman has thought of are simple policies. “This will give the local government units and department heads the authority to discipline its own men,” it added.
Also, FICCI noted that the Ombudsman will not interfere with the quasi-judicial functions of any government agency.
“While virtually conceding inability to curb corruption, and that the Office of the Ombudsman has in the course of the past 30 years failed to take any initiatives to address inefficiency and red tape in the government, and despite ARTA’s significant achievements, the Ombudsman seeks the repeal of the Ease of Doing Business Law, and the abolition of ARTA, the only agency that has taken serious and concrete measures to curb red tape in the government,” FICCI pointed out.
Meantime, FICCI emphasized the major accomplishments of ARTA to fight corruption in government.
Among other things, said the Ease of Doing Business Law said ARTA has shortened processing periods in government offices and provided remedies against inaction and inefficiency. From 2019 to 2022, 567 counts of violations of the Ease of Doing Business Law and its implementing rules have been filed by ARTA before various courts.
As a result of ARTA’s initiatives, the Philippines ranked higher and scored better in the 2020 World Bank – Doing Business Report, specifically from a rank of 124th and a score of 57.68 in 2019 to 95th (out of 190 economies) with a score of 62.8.
“With the encouraging results of ARTA’s initial efforts, FICCI and its members find it imperative to add their voices to the outrage in the community against the faulty reasoning behind calls for the abolition of ARTA,” the statement noted.
Instead, FICCI asked the Ombudsman to collaborate with ARTA to promote efficiency in government.
Specifically, FICCI said that the Ombudsman is constitutionally mandated to, among other things, “determine the causes of inefficiency, red tape, mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in the Government and make recommendations for their elimination and the observance of high standards of ethics and efficiency.” In the same vein, ARTA declares as a policy “ effective practices, aimed at efficient turnaround of the delivery of government services and the prevention of graft and corruption in government.”
FICCI added that the Office of the Ombudsman is well-placed to utilize ARTA as a tool for the performance of its mandate under the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. However, the repeal of the Ease of Doing Business Law and the abolishment of ARTA will leave the Office of the Ombudsman to its current devices and its own track record.
“It bears emphasis that efficiency in the delivery of government service and resources boosts the confidence of the business sector and investors in business opportunities in the Philippines. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country needs to maximize its chances at economic recovery and cannot afford setbacks from the reversal of the headways and successes that ARTA has achieved since its inception,” the statement added.
In conclusion, FICCI appealed to members appeal to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, to facilitate the ongoing dialogue between the Ombudsman and ARTA for closer collaboration and sharing of resources toward meeting the common mandate of curbing corruption and promoting efficiency in government.