ARTA to LTFRB: TNVS application with complete requirements ‘deemed approved’
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) clarified that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) needs to issue the Certificates of Public Convenience (CPCs) of pending Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) franchise applications with complete requirements since these are already deemed approved by law.
In a Facebook live video, ARTA chief Jeremiah Belgica said LTFRB does not need to approve these applications anymore since under the Ease of Doing Business Act, these are already deemed approved once all requirements are submitted.
“Deemed approved na po ang inyong mga application from the time na nakumpleto na po, tapos na po ang hearing. Kaya ‘wag niyo iisipin na aaprubahan pa lang (Your applications are deemed approved by the time you have completed your requirements and the hearing is finished. So don’t think that the LTFRB is just going to approve them by now),” he told TNVS franchise applicants.
“So ang amin pong hinihingi ay ilabas po ang (So what we’re asking the LTFRB is to issue the) Certificate of Public Convenience, showing that it is already deemed approved,” he added.
Belgica then appealed to the LTFRB to continue to follow the law.
“’Wag na ho tayong pasaway kasi tayo po ay paspas na po tayo sa pagbabago. So, well, nagpapasalamat kami in a sense na nagpapakita ng willingness na tumalima (Let’s not go astray anymore on our way to positive change. But we thank them for showing willingness to follow the law),” he said.
He, however, reminded the LTFRB that the ARTA will not tolerate fixers in the agency.
“Pero sa mga tiwali, hahanap po kami ng paraan para kayo po ay aming matuklasan (We will find a way to weed out the corrupt in your agency),” Beligca warned.
“Meron ho tayong mga mystery shoppers sa mga agencies ho. At ‘pag kayo ay aming natsempuhan, lalo na sa mga fixers diyan, sigurado po namin kayong hahanapan ng paraan para kayo ay masuspinde at kung kinakailangan ay makulong (We have mystery shoppers in different agencies and when we catch you, especially the fixers, we will find a way to suspend you and if necessary, have you jailed),” he added.
The ARTA gave the LTFRB until Friday to issue the CPCs of TNVS with pending applications that have complete requirements and have been heard from July 7, 2018 until July 24, 2019 when the Ease of Doing Business Act took effect.
ARTA made the order following various complaints about numerous pending applications with complete requirements and are just awaiting the issuance of their CPCs.
Under Republic Act 11032 (Ease of Doing Business Act), simple transactions should only take three days, complex transactions are given seven days, and high technical transactions are given 20 days.