The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has assured local and foreign investors that the government is committed to ensuring the ease of doing business in the Philippines as the administration promotes the country as an investment hub.
ARTA director-general Secretary Ernesto Perez said this after President Marcos explained that he has been traveling to different countries to woo investors and ask them what they need so they would consider doing business in the Philippines.
In an interview with State-run PTV-4 on Wednesday, Sept. 20, the anti-red tape czar said the ARTA is working to ensure smooth business processes in the country as he recognized that this is the first concern of investors.
"Iyong ating mga negosyante, both foreign at saka local, ang number one po sa kanilang isip sa pagninegosyo is about ease of doing business. Kaya po ang ARTA ay nakatutok para mabigyan natin ng peace of mind itong ating mga negosyante (The number one concern of local and foreign businessmen is the ease of doing business. This is why the ARTA is focused on giving them peace of mind)," he said.
"Kapag pumasok sa isang negosyo, makakaasa po sila na ang serbisyo ng gobyerno ay para doon sa ease of doing business (We assure them that they will experience ease of doing business when they enter into one)," he added.
Perez particularly cited the establishment of Electronic Business One-Stop Shops (eBOSS) in different local government units (LGUs) as required under the Ease of Doing Business Act.
The eBOSS and other similar online permitting systems expedite the filing and releasing business registration and renewal applications.
The ARTA has been conducting surprise inspections to see if LGUs have complied with the mandatory establishment of the eBOSS.
On his trip to Singapore last week, President Marcos said the administration has made changes in the system to ensure the ease of doing business as the bureaucracy has gone "out of control."
"The bureaucracy had gone a little bit out of control. That is something that we immediately have begun to address," he said.
"We have changed many of the rules, we have changed many of the systems, there has been actually amended legislation so that the tax incentives, the tax holidays, the tariffs, et cetera, the tariff structures have all been changed so that it is easier for our foreign investors to come in and to do business," he added.