Cebu LGUs streamline business permit processing

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) of Cebu province have been streamlining their business permit and licensing systems, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office in Central Visayas said in a statement. In Barili, a third-class municipality located 61 kilometers southwest of Cebu city, a business permit is issued 15 minutes after the application is filed, said DTI regulatory division chief Josh Carol Ventura. Other local governments that have streamlined the systems are the cities of Danao in the north, as well as Carcar and Naga in the south. The towns of Consolacion, Liloan and Cordova in the north, as well as Moalboal and Argao in the south have also trimmed the number of signatures needed in a business permit. The streamlining of the business permit and licensing systems is part of the German-funded Small and Medium Enterprises Development for Sustainable Employment Program. This program advocates the establishment of "one-stop shops" for processing and issuance of business permits and licenses. The system is expect-ed to reduce the number of steps in getting a permit, business licensing tracking time, days of processing business permit, documents and forms required, as well as clearances and signatures. Meanwhile, Ms. Ventura informed members of the Philippine Retailers Association Cebu chapter that the department will soon launch an online retailers’ link. "We will use technology to facilitate communication bet-ween the government and the retailers. Through this link, we can provide you with the latest department orders and other relevant government measures, while you can also give us feed-back on how to address your concerns," she said. — M. S. Villamor, BusinessWorld