Gov’t front-line services seen improving

With the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Law passed last year, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) expected government front-line services to sustain the inroads made so far in making transactions faster and more efficient.

In a statement Wednesday, Neda said an impact evaluation study on the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act (Arta) of 2007 showed that “individuals and businesses availing themselves of government front-line services have become more satisfied with how they are served.”

“This satisfaction is attributed to how fast agencies act on their requests and when transactions are successful,” it said.

Also, “clients are more satisfied when service delivery standards such as the Citizen’s Charter and no-noon-break policy are adhered to, and when agencies innovate in their delivery mechanisms, such as using automated queuing systems or ensuring adequate staff serving during high traffic hours,” Neda said.

However,  Neda said clients were most dissatisfied when they paid hidden costs, such as extra requirements/costs that were not in the Charter or under-the-table payments.

As the EODB and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 under RA 11032 amended and further improved on Arta, Neda was optimistic that the third priority of the Duterte administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda—speeding up processing time, simplifying procedures and making government transactions hassle-free to improve the country’s competitiveness—will be within reach.

“Citizens and businesses appreciate it when front-line service providers care about providing what their clients came for as fast as they can, and by all ways and means,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said.

“In making service delivery standards for front-line service, agencies must be helpful, agile, evidence-based, reliable and transparent. By doing front-line services right, we help people and businesses succeed,” added Pernia, who heads Neda.

Neda said its study recommended making Arta “the standard for ideal service to individuals and businesses by encouraging government agencies to create their own agency-level initiatives and strategies and invest in innovation that can improve services and minimize corruption.”

Neda attributed the country’s higher ranking in the 2018 Worldwide Governance Indicators to these ongoing efforts to eliminate red tape.

But while the Philippines’ rankings in government effectiveness and regulatory quality improved, scores fell in control of corruption, rule of law and voice and accountability.