DTI helps LGUs become more investor-friendly

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is working closely with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in making the local government units (LGUs) more investor friendly.

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday the move to make LGUs more investor friendly is also part of the government’s objective of lowering the cost of business.

"The DTI and DILG are working together toward codifying, systematizing, harmonizing and reducing the steps and cost for filing business permits, building permits and other local requirements," Roxas said.

He said that the plan of making LGUs more investor friendly has long been taken up with Investment Ombudsman Florecita Flores and with the Economic Mobilization Group (EMG).

Local businessmen regularly complain about the difficulty in securing the necessary business and local municipal permits and licenses.

They complain that each local government has different practices about the process for securing such documents.

Government sources said that because of the bureaucratic red-tape, some businessmen prefer to invest in areas where their system is investor friendly and allows the quick release of such documents.

They said some areas are not able to generate as much economic activity simply because investors are wary about their procedures or the cost of securing the necessary permits does not make their planned investment viable. – Marianne Go