Iloilo records 15% surge in business permits

ILOILO CITY: This city has cemented its title as one of the most business-friendly cities in the Philippines after recording a 15 percent increase in business renewals and the establishment of new businesses in January.

The Business Permit and Licensing Division (BPLD) of the Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (Ledip) office reported issuing a total of 14,473 business renewal permits and 219 new business permits during the first month of the year.

The BPLD noted that this figure is nearly 1,900 higher than the the city has recorded during the same period in 2023.

Data from the BPLD indicated that the city government issued 18,927 business permits last year.

Ledip office head Velma Lao said the increase is attributed to the city government’s efforts to provide convenience to business owners by offering off-site payment centers located in key partner malls such as SM City Iloilo, Festive Walk Mall at Megaworld, The Atrium, and Marymart Center.

Apart from this, Lao noted the city’s business-enabling community and its economic development attracts businesses to invest.

“Another reason is we continue to create a good business-enabling environment where businessmen foresee profitable growth. They have confidence that they can make it this 2024,” she added.

Lao also disclosed that the city has received confirmation from the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) that Iloilo City is 100 percent compliant with Republic Act 11032 or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act” for the year 2023.

“By being compliant, it means that we submit and comply with what we are expected or required relative to ease of doing business and efficient government service delivery with emphasis on accountability, transparency and responsiveness” said Lao.

Lao added that the city has submitted an annual compliance report to ARTA on the Citizen’s Charter (2nd Edition), Certificate of Compliance, Client Satisfaction Measurement Report, Committee on Anti-Red Tape, Initial Whole-of-the-Government Reengineering Plan, and Zero Backlog Report.

She added that this is the second year in a row that the city has been assessed to be 100-percent ARTA compliant.