Quezon City, DTI partner to boost ease of doing business

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to further streamline the process of applying for business permits in the city.

Mayor Joy Belmonte and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual signed a memorandum of agreement to integrate the DTI’s business name registration system into the city’s  online business permit application system.

“The agreement will allow a seamless verification process and further boost ease of doing business,” the city government said in a statement yesterday.

It will also help detect fraudulent submission of requirements and effectively monitor compliance of QC-based businesses.

“Since one of the requirements for processing business permits of sole proprietors is the certificate of business name registration from DTI, we need to ensure compliance. Instead of manually verifying the authenticity of CBNRs, the integration will allow digital processing of documents thereby speeding up the process,” Belmonte said.

More than 65,000 businesses are based in Quezon City, with almost half registered with the DTI.

“So we deem it imperative to track growth, regularly monitor compliance and gather necessary data for policies and programs,” Belmonte said.

Margarita Santos, who heads the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Department, said the partnership would also pave the way for faster evaluation of permit applications through an automated, system-to-system verification.

Belmonte also entered into an agreement with the city’s 142 barangays for the integration of barangay clearance and business permit fees into the online application system.

She said this would ensure that businesses regularly pay their dues.

“We are working hand-in-hand with the barangays through the ‘Suyod Buwis’ program to ensure that businesses operating in each village are compliant with both city and barangay regulations,” Belmonte said.

“Through integrating the barangay business permit fees and clearance applications, the city will be able to automatically collect such fees, which are expected to significantly increase barangay revenues,” she added.