Trade department finds a way to cut red tape

Business name registration can be processed in 15 minutes, from the usual eight hours, provided the applicant’s papers are in order, according to the Trade and Industry department.

It can be done in 15 minutes, Secretary Gregory Domingo told a House committee hearing on Friday, pointing out that his department has overhauled a software to cut red tape and speed up the process.

Testifying before the House committee on appropriations, with Malabon-Navotas Rep. Jaye Noel presiding, Domingo said the “software” will be put to use before the administration completes its first 100 days in office.

“We have been reviewing it for the past two months. We implemented changes to reduce the business registration time to 15 minutes and this will be in place on or before the 100th day in office of President Aquino,” Domingo told the House panel.

Under the new system, Domingo said, those wishing to register businesses would only have to enter the requirements in a computer terminal and push the enter button to know their Tax Identification Number, Philhealth, Social Security System Number, and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).

“Getting a business name registered takes four to eight hours. We will reduce it to 15 minutes,” Domingo said. He did not say exactly how the department would do it and what changes it would put in place.

But Noel said the DTI has to make good on its promise since reducing the “red-tape” was among those things the President promised to implement in his first state-of-the-nation address. Reduced red tape would make the Philippines “investment-friendly” to attract investors.

The Trade chief admitted that outside of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, it is much more difficult to secure business permits from the Local Government Units.

Domingo sought the approval of DTI’s P2.118 billion budget for 2011, which he said was much higher than this year’s but far from his desired level of P4.6 billion.

Of the P2.118 billion, some P973 million is allocated for personnel services, P1.376 billion for operations and only P371 million for capital outlay, he said.

The budget constraints, Domingo said, would disrupt such projects as “one town-one product” campaign. Also facing being sidelined are the department’s consumer education program, massive information on free trade, stricter implementation of product testing, and internal audit service. (Manila Standard)

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