ARTA to help streamline transactions in processed food sector
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has committed to streamlining processes and requirements and harmonizing the overlapping mandates on importation and exportation in the processed food sector.

The ARTA said this after the Export Development Council's-Networking Committee on Agri-Policy (EDC-NCAP) tapped its help in coming up with solutions to ease these regulatory constraints.
According to the agency, ARTA Director-General Ernesto Perez met with the Better Regulations Office (BRO), Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation Office (CMEO), and Chairperson Philip Young of the EDC-NCAP to discuss the bottlenecks that their members have encountered in transacting with concerned agencies.
The EDC was created under the Export Development Act of 1994. It is tasked to identify bottlenecks affecting the Philippine export industry and call the attention of government agencies to attend to these problem areas.
In a statement, Perez said they would address the issues brought to them.
"The concerns and issues raised and brought to ARTA's attention will be addressed by the Authority's streamlining programs, as well as its digitalization initiatives in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)," he said.
"These are spearheaded by BRO and CMEO, as enabled by the Ease of Doing Business Law," he added.
According to ARTA, the BRO will lead the review of relevant regulations to avoid undue burden on the stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the CMEO will head the monitoring of mandatory compliances of the concerned agencies, in particular, the provision of an updated Citizen's Charters reflecting an accurate list of requirements and processing times under the Ease of Doing Business Act.
The ARTA Chief also emphasized the eventual integration of the regulatory agencies in the TradeNet to allow a more simplified and 'end-to-end' processing of licenses and permits through a single online portal.
"As for concerns regarding the overlapping mandates in the regulatory agencies, it will be addressed through a Joint Administrative Order (JAO) after a thorough consultation with the agencies," Perez said.
With this, ARTA will hold consultation meetings with the involved regulatory agencies in the coming weeks.