DTI vows business registration in one day

The Department of Trade and Industry ( DTI), upon orders of President Duterte, has vowed to cut the business registration process in the country to one day within a year’s time.

“We’re starting the process. Our soft target is maybe 100 days, but hopefully within one year because we’re talking of many municipalities here. Before, it will take a few weeks before you get your business registered. The target now, which we hope to achieve, is one day, maximum of three days, to have everything from business name, local government unit (LGU), sanitation, fire permits and all that,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

Lopez sees no problem in complying with such order given the support he has received from the President as well as his fellow Cabinet officials.

“We have the political will from the President, similar to his political will to solve the drug problem. To persuade all the mayors to cooperate, we have a very progressive DILG ( Department of Interior and Local Government) secretary who has also committed to talk to all the mayors. The mayors should not think of this as something imposed on them, but really to have a positive business environment in their area because having that kind of environment will really promote business, investments, economic activity, more jobs and higher income. That’s the more important thing, bringing economic progress to your areas,” he said.

Under the planned process, Lopez said a business registration application would be approved first before complete compliance standards are checked.

Still, registration of businesses that fail compliance standards would be revoked, Lopez said.

“The intention is really to fasttrack the approval process. So no reason for you to complain, at least you’re given a reason to start already,” he said.

“As long as you get all the information needed, there’s no reason for you to wait. That does not mean we’re lowering the stan- dards on compliance on fire safety, sanitation and the like. It’s still the same, it’s just the sequence will be different so they don’t have to wait one or two months just for them to be registered with their business. That’s the principle. In one day they can start their business,” the Trade chief added.

Lopez said DTI is also open to proposals of extending the validity of certain business permits, which many claim is a major issue affecting the ease of doing business in the country.

“If it will lessen the number of times you have to apply and go to the city hall, why not? Again, it will cut the number of people there, so less lines,” he said.

The Philippines has already made significant gains in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report ranking, moving up 45 notches over the past five years.

Based on last year’s outcome, the country ranked 103rd out of 189 economies in the report. The country aims to be in the top third or at the least number 63 of the rankings this year.