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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider ARTA to streamline water industry's permitting process

ARTA to streamline water industry's permitting process

Published Dec 5, 2023 12:27 pm

Private stakeholders and government agencies in the water industry sector met last Nov. 24 to discuss potential solutions to challenges faced in applying for permits and licenses, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said.

The meeting led by the ARTA Better Regulations Office (BRO) at the ARTA Central Office in Quezon City, was attended by private stakeholders, namely: Maynilad Water Services Inc., and Manila Water Company Inc.; and government offices, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), National Water Resources Board, and Local Water Utilities Administration.

During the discussion, attendees discussed high fees and differing requirements among local government units (LGUs), urging ARTA, which is responsible for implementing the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Law, to initially consolidate and examine Citizen's Charters of LGUs in Metro Manila.

The Citizen's Charter is a requirement of the EODB Law that outlines the requirements, timeline, and person responsible for all services, limiting the access of government offices to request additional information.

The concessionaires will also submit to ARTA the flow of the permitting process based on their on-the-ground experiences. Upon review of the submission, ARTA will then provide recommendations to streamline the system, which may include cutting down processing time and costs. The initiative may also lead to attract more investments for the water sector.  

"Now we have a clear idea [where we will focus] and what are the agencies that we have to touch base on,” Better Regulations Office (BRO) Director Marbida L. Marbida said, expressing optimism in the collaborative efforts of public and private stakeholders.

She added that “ARTA, under Secretary [Ernesto] Perez's leadership, is continuously ensuring that we are all working together to make government processes more efficient and not burdensome as directed by the President [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.]." 

As part of the agreement, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Finance (DOF) - Bureau of Local Government Finance, and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be invited to the next consultative meetings. 

ARTA will also explore holding a series of stakeholder fora with the private and public sectors for formal dialogues that will result in a more standardized permitting system in the water industry. 

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