BPLS guidebook seen to eradicate corruption

More cities and municipalities in Cebu will soon adopt an investor-friendly business licensing system, as the German-supported Business Permit and Licensing System (BPLS) will be rolled out in major cities and towns in Cebu this year.

The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will strongly push the implementation of BPLS in the LGUs in order to encourage investors, and curb rampant corruption problem.

According to GTZ-Decentralization Program manager Herwig Mayer, the program initially targets to cover a corridor in Cebu from Danao City to CarCar to adopt BPLS this year. However, the implementation of this process depends largely on the LGU executives.

“We want to demonstrate through the pilot municipalities and cities the effectivity of the system, but we don’t want to prescribe it. We will have to see who will buy it,” Mayer said.

If adopted by LGU, local and German experts will be deployed to help a town or a city to set up an efficient business licensing system that will attract more investors.

DTI-7 regional director Asteria Caberte said that this process will eradicate the “gray area” of processing business permit documents, which is the “brewing-ground” for corruption.

“There’s no more gray area here. Things will be made easier for investors and business permit processors. No more place for people to extract money from applicants,” Caberte said.

During the launching of the BPLS held recently, at least 10 LGUs in Cebu province manifested their interest in adopting the BPLS, which is a reference manual towards one business permit and licensing system.

BPLS reforms are expected to bring in added own-source revenues for participating LGUs and improve the delivery of its mandated business regulatory services.

Since this process will provide a “glass table” or pave the way for transparency in getting necessary documents to start or renew business permits in every city or municipality, implementing this process could encourage more investors in a particular locality.  – Ehda M. Dagooc