LGUs ordered to set up electronic business one-stop shop

MANILA, Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) need to set up an electronic business one-stop shop (e-BOSS) by June 17 this year following the issuance of a joint memorandum circular (JMC) by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and three other agencies to streamline business permitting systems.

JMC 1-2021, which provides the guidelines for the online processing of business permits, clearances and licenses in all cities and municipalities, was signed yesterday by ARTA director general Jeremiah Belgica, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Bernardo Florece Jr.

Belgica said LGUs would need to have the e-BOSS or automate their business processing and licensing systems by June 17, as stated under Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

“In their transition to the fully automated business registration system or e-BOSS, LGUs are encouraged to adopt a partly manual and partly electronic/online system that will reduce the number of steps for processing business permits to less than four,” the JMC said.

A unified application form will be used to apply for a business permit, fire safety and inspection certificate, locational clearance or its equivalent, sanitary permit and environmental permit.

Inspections will be conducted to make sure the required permits can be issued within the prescribed processing time of three working days.

The JMC also reduces the number of signatories on the permits.

“The business permit and related ancillary permits such as, but not limited to the locational clearance, sanitary permit, the barangay business clearance and the fire safety and inspection certificate for business, shall be limited to a maximum of three signatures representing the officers directly supervising the office/department concerned responsible for the permit/clearance,” the JMC stated.

Belgica said the ARTA and the DILG would check the compliance of LGUs on the creation and use of the e-BOSS.

If there is apparent disregard in the provisions of the law and the JMC, he said this could lead to an investigation and filing of cases.

“We are hoping it doesn’t have to reach that point because we know, simply by talking to all of the local chief executives, everybody is really interested to streamline and automate their services,” he said.

To date, there are 446 LGUs that have entered into a memorandum of agreement with the DICT for the implementation of the e-BOSS, with more than 200 already on operational stage.

Lopez said the JMC would pave the way for cities and municipalities to improve the business permitting system and reduce the processing time to meet world-class standards.

He said the streamlined process would not just reduce the cost of doing business, but also support economic recovery.

“To this end, the establishment of the re-engineered business permitting processes through the e-BOSS will potentially lead to more business registrations and higher revenues from business tax and fees for LGUs, and more importantly, bring livelihood to our countrymen,” he said.