DTI hopes to eradicate red tape with one stop business registry

CEBU, Philippines – In its effort to cut bureaucratic red tape, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will soon formally introduce the Philippine Business Registry (PBR) facility before the end of the year.

PBR, the government's paperless business registration system, is seen to streamline the business registration process and subsequently reduce the cost of doing business, cut down red tape, and promote paperless environment in the government.

"Our objective is to create a better business environment in the country. This we hope to achieve with the creation of the PBR," said DTI secretary Gregory L. Domingo.

The PBR enables the processing of application for business name registration (BNR), tax identification number (TIN), Social Security System (SSS), Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-IBIG), and PhilHealth numbers, and Mayor's permit in about 30 minutes.

Linkages among various government agencies namely: DTI, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Cooperative Development Agency (CDA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), SSS, Pag-ibig, PhilHealth, and local government units (LGUs) are now ongoing to help facilitate business-related transactions among them. 

Online filing of applications for business permits and license will only need a single data entry facility, this will provide easier and faster approval of business registrations.

The DTI's website www.business.gov.ph will provide links to systems of national government agencies (NGAs) and LGUs.

Domingo also announced that DTI has further streamlined the application for BNR by reducing the forms from eight pages to just one page, the information field from 36 to just six, and the signatories from five to just two.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) earlier announced its interest to help the government including the Cebu City government and the DTI to help ease the processing of business permits.

CCCI president Samuel Chioson earlier said that aside from partnering with the Cebu City government, the chamber will also link with the DTI regional and provincial offices.

Chioson said the private sector has the advantage as they have a wide data-base and network as to the coverage of information and data.

"As private entity, we are committed to efficiency and transparency. If this plan will work, it will become a benchmark of private sector-LGU partnership in the country," Chioson said.

CCCI will make its own team to manage the business permit approval and renewal, as well as releasing department, and it will also seek support from the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), and human resource experts to create a credible team on this venture. (FREEMAN)