DTI REPORTS ON EASE OF DOING BUSINESS REFORMS Sec. Lopez calls on gov’t agencies to “Execute, execute, execute” reform initiatives

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced during the 6^th Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Summit on 13 June 2018 at the PICC in Pasay City that the government has already implemented nineteen reforms that it hopes will have an impact in the 2019 World Bank Doing Business Survey Report.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, chair of the EODB/Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council, enumerated the following reform initiatives undertaken by various agencies that will have an impact on 7 out of 10 indicators of the DB Report.

These indicators include: (1) starting a business, (2) dealing with construction permits (3) getting electricity, (4) registering property, (5) protecting minority investors, (6) trading across borders, and (7) enforcing contracts.

The following reforms have been implemented:

1. Company Registration System (CRS) implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 2017. 
2. Executive Order 11 issued by Quezon City creating a One-stop Shop (OSS) for business and building permits. Barangay clearances shall no longer be held as a prior requirement for business and building permit application.
3. Single Window Transaction initiated by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
4. Setting up of Quezon City Construction Permits One-Stop Shop for single, integrated application and approval for building permits, locational clearances, fire safety evaluation clearances, certificates of occupancy, fire safety inspection certificates, tax declarations (new warehouse), certificates of final electrical inspection, and certificates of machinery operation.
5. Issuance of a DILG/DPWH/DTI Joint Memorandum Circular on Construction Permits. This sets uniform standards for processing building permits and certificates of occupancy, including application forms, requirements, steps, processing time, one-time assessment, and payment of fees.
6. Implementation of the CXE (Customer eXperience Engine) by MERALCO.
7. Setting up a MERALCO Booth inside the Quezon City Hall, a channel to receive service applications and to inform contractors and customers on how to apply for electricity and submit requirements online.
8. Implementation of Executive Order No. 11 s 2017 where the Certificate of Final Electrical Inspection (CFEI) is now part of the application.
9. Implementation of the Land Titling Computerization Project (LTCP) by the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
10. Land Registration Systems (LARES) uploaded with LRA’s annual statistics tracking the number of transactions in their website to allow the public access to the data. Majority of the title/ deed records and plans in Quezon City have been converted electronically and are now fully digital. Users are now able to check a specific title's encumbrance information using its electronic database.
11. Implementation of the Supreme Court's Philippine's Enterprise Information Systems Plan (EISP) and the roll-out of the e-Court system in Quezon City.
12. Implementation of the Electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration (eCAR).
13. SEC issued Memorandum Circular No.8, s.2018, which mandates all publicly-listed companies to seek shareholders' approval on any change/s in the company's external auditor.
14. Issuance of a SEC Memorandum Circular requiring the boards to have a separate audit committee exclusively comprised of board members.
15. The Goods Declaration Verification System (GDVS) provides real time updates on entries filed, which lessens face-to-face transactions at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and its stakeholders.
16. The Super Green Lane (SGL) institutes advance cargo clearance for shipments of highly compliant importers. This allow advance processing and clearance of importations from the country’s topmost qualified importers without compromising BOC’s function of assessment and collection of revenue.
17. Mandatory 100% x-ray inspection on red lane shipments and removal of redundant scrutiny of cargoes.
18. Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS) is an innovative online system that schedules the withdrawal and delivery of containerized cargoes at the international ports of Manila. It reduces the road congestion in the port vicinity, which will benefit the surrounding communities, other road users, and the environment in general.
19. Deployment of electronic case management system through the eCourts project

The reforms implemented have resulted in the reduction in the processing time and steps on applications in Quezon City, the representative city monitored by the World Bank.

Sec. Lopez called all government agencies to implement fully these reforms identified by the EODB Task Force. He said: “Our thrust is to ‘Execute, execute, execute.’ We must continue to implement these reform initiatives and identify the obstacles to our progress.”

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Lopez noted that the recent passage of the EODB/Efficient Government Law or Republic Act No. 11032, should compel all agencies of government to comply with streamlining and reengineering. This he said, effectively broadens the scope of the interagency task force.