The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) called on Malacañang to institutionalize three of ARTA’s telecommunications initiatives, citing their effectiveness in cutting red tape and promoting faster internet services in the country.
The two bodies released said this in a joint statement after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led ARTA’s first Telco Summit, which aimed to harmonize the government’s streamlining and digitalization initiatives for the telecommunications sector, early this week.
In their statement, ARTA and the PSAC cited three joint memorandum circulars (JMCs) that they appealed to the government to institutionalize, saying these were in adherence to Marcos’ agenda of improving internet connectivity:
- JMC No. 1, s. 2020: “Streamlined guidelines for the issuance of permits, licenses, and certificates for the construction of shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructure”
- Revised JMC No. 1, s. 2021; “Revised and expanded streamlined guidelines for the issuance of permits, licenses, and certificates for the construction of shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructure”
- JMC No. 1, s. 2021: “Streamlined guidelines for the issuance of permits and clearances for the erection of poles, construction of underground fiber ducts, and installation of aerial and underground cable and facilities to accelerate the rollout of telecommunications and internet infrastructure
According to ARTA and the PSAC, there was a need to institutionalize the said initiatives as they would expire next year.
“With the impending expiration of the subject JMCs next year, and their proven effectiveness in curtailing government red tape and accelerating the delivery of telecommunications and internet services, PSAC and ARTA jointly express their strong endorsement and support for an Executive Order prescribing the continuance of the JMCs,” they wrote.
“This collaboration between ARTA and PSAC is the first step towards universal connectivity to ensure that no Filipino is left behind,” they added.
The ARTA and PSAC noted that the implementation of the said JMCs since July 2020 has produced significant results, especially in the number of telco permits approved.
“Comparing the pre-reform and post-reform periods, there were only 7,902 permits approved from July 2019 to June 2020, while 36,264 permits were approved from July 2020 to June 2021,” they said.
“In just one year of implementation, the ARTA telco initiative increased approved telco permits by 358.92 percent,” they added.
The two bodies even cited a World Bank study which said that the revised JMC No. 1, s. 2021, reduced the number of documentary requirements from 86 to 35 and the turnaround time from 241 working days to 16 working days.
The same World Bank study added that the implementation of JMC No. 1, s. 2021 reduced the number of documentary requirements from 62 to 26, and the turnaround time from 868
to 74 working days.
Meanwhile, the ARTA and PSAC lauded the national government agencies and local government units that implemented the three JMCs that have fast-tracked the approval of necessary telco permits.