House OKs red tape bill

The committee on trade and industry of the House of Representatives has approved a substitute bill that seeks to significantly cut bureaucratic red tape in acquiring business permits.

The bill – An Act Establishing a National Policy on Ease of Doing Business, creating for the purpose the ease of doing business commission – got the imprimatur of the committee headed by Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, but it remains unnumbered.

The measure aims to shorten the processing of applications for business permits and to create a business environment that will be attractive to local and foreign investors.

The bill is a consolidation of seven measures, whose authors are Biron and Representatives Vilma SantosRecto of Batangas, Winston Castelo of Quezon City, LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, and Gus Tambunting of Parañaque, among others.

Biron said the bill will provide a mechanism for the expeditious approval of business permits and licenses, and harmonize the regulations of national government agencies and local government units.

The bill also prescribes a maximum processing time of one working day at the barangay level, three working days for simple applications, and 10 working days for complex applications.

It will also provide for the automatic approval and release of business permits upon the lapse of 30 days of inaction, provided that all necessary documents have been submitted.