Renewing business permits will no longer take more than a day

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) Wednesday reminded business owners that renewing permits or securing them for the first time was much easier now as an inter-agency circular for this purpose has come into force.

However, the NCC said the business community must see this for themselves and test whether the new measures are working.

“We are pleased to inform you that Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1-2016 signed on Aug. 30, 2016 (by the secretaries of trade, interior and information communications technology) is in effect,” NCC co-chair Guillermo Luz said in a letter to entrepreneurs.

New businesses

Citing the memo, Luz said the processing time for business permit renewals should be no longer than one day while processing for new businesses should be no longer than two days.

The memo mandates the use of a standardized form for the renewal or new application process; while the number of steps to renew a business permit should be three at most.

Also, the number of signatories needed to approve a permit should not be more than two, including only the mayor or designated representative and the business permits licensing officer or treasurer of the local government unit.

Electronic signatures

The circular also allows the use of electronic signatures in applying for permits.

The NCC also noted that for new business permit applications, the Fire Safety Inspection Certificates (FSIC) issued during one’s “occupancy permit” stage should be enough.

For businesses renewing their FSICs, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is responsible for eventually providing the city or town with a list, including a negative list.

Sans any list, businesses are already considered to have a valid FSIC, which is the basis for the business permit.

Fire hazards

Likewise, BFP personnel are not allowed to sell or dictate which brand of fire extinguishers a business owner needs to use, since a list describing the technical specifications is available for use as reference in purchasing fire extinguishers.

“These measures are designed to improve our ease of doing business,” Luz said. “We would appreciate receiving feedback from you. Your views will help us improve systems to improve business transactions with various government agencies.”