Parañaque leads launch of simplified business permit renewal system

The city government of Parañaque started this year the implementation of a simplified and integrated business permit renewal system in a bid to enhance investor confidence and improve service delivery to local and foreign investors.

Called Project Express Lane Operation or Project ELO, the undertaking is in line with Republic Act 11032 or Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 signed by President Duterte in May last year.

Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez said they are hoping that more businesses will register and set up shop in the city as they simplify and integrate the steps in securing business and other permits.

One of the salient features of Project ELO is the elimination of securing permits from the different barangays, previously a prerequisite before a mayor’s permit is granted, according to Olivarez.

With the new project, the first in the country, he said business owners need not go to barangay halls to apply for a barangay clearance.

It will now be applied, paid and issued at the Parañaque city hall along with the fire safety inspection certificate, sanitary permit, certificate of conformance, from planning office and the mayor’s permit to operate a business, he added.

Project ELO is located at the newly renovated Taxpayers Lounge of the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO). The team consists of personnel from BPLO, Planning and Development Office, Office of the Build- ing Official, City Health Office, City Treasurer’s Office, Liga ng Barangay, the Bureau of Fire and Protection and the Philippine National Police.

As a result of the launch of the project last Jan. 3, assessments nearly doubled to P81 million compared with the P46 million generated in the first working day of 2018, according to BPLO chief Melanie Malaya.

Likewise, payments ballooned to P5.5 million on the first day, up from P3.2 million last year, she said.

Last year, the BPLO collected P2.5 billion business taxes and fees from 23,000 business registrants citywide. Malaya added that they are expecting an increase of 15 percent business applicants through Project ELO this year.