DTI pushes automation of permits, licensing
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is pushing stakeholders to go for the automation, not just the streamlining, of the government’s business permits and licensing systems (BPLS).
“We are confident to say that we have made considerable headway in BPLS implementation. But we are not stopping there. We want to see local government units move up to the next level from BPLS to e-BPLS,” Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said in a statement.
As of June 30, 748 local government units (LGUs) have streamlined their BPLS. Out of these LGUs, 421 of the 480 target LGUs were included in the program. The remaining 327 LGUs were not part of the set target, according to DTI documents.
“This is part of the continuing process to improve the business environment and make it easier for our constituents and citizens to transact with the government,” Domingo said.
The BPLS reduces the number of steps, application forms and signatories needed in business permit applications to encourage small and micro enterprises and those within the informal economy to register. Doing so, Domingo said, would give them legal protection and enjoy the perks that accompanied it.
In a separate report, the DTI said small and micro enterprises also employed 61.2 percent of the workforce and contributed 35.7 percent of the total value-added in the manufacturing industry. The size of the small and micro enterprise sector gave leverage to push for a corrupt-free Philippines and to wage the drive to conduct business with integrity, DTI said.
Early this year, the DTI and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) submitted a joint BPLS Work Plan for 2012-2016, which contained the revised number of target LGUs. By 2016, the target LGUs to comply with BPLS standards was set at 1,634 cities and municipalities. The increase in target was in compliance with President Aquino’s instruction to expand the coverage of the BPLS program.
The DTI and the DILG launched the nationwide streamlining of BPLS in the country in August 2010 and issued a joint circular on the guidelines to implement the standards in processing business permits and licenses in cities and municipalities.
