EDITORIAL - Cutting red tape

In accordance with the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 or Republic Act 9485, the Civil Service Commission inspected government offices nationwide last year for compliance with the law. The results showed 150 offices failing the test. An encouraging development is that 50 offices obtained an “excellent” rating; 308 were rated “good” while 90 were rated “acceptable” by the CSC.

Of the 50 offices with excellent marks, 11 belonged to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Another 60 BIR offices were rated “good” but 12 failed. Among the notable agencies that failed overall were the Government Service Insurance System and the Bureau of Customs.

The assessments were based on the quality of frontline service delivery, physical working conditions and client satisfaction. The CSC took into consideration the amount of fees, the presence of public assistance desks as well as the quality of waiting areas and public toilets, the availability of special lanes for the elderly and people with disabilities, and compliance with the “no-noon break” policy.

Red tape opens opportunities for corruption. Several agencies have shown that streamlining procedures can eliminate the need for “fixers” and can improve public services. Processing of a driver’s license, for example, has vastly improved, although the Land Transportation Office must still deal with employees who try to facilitate transactions for a fee or who are involved in carjacking syndicates. 

CSC officials see some progress in efforts to eliminate red tape. As the CSC assessment shows, however, the problem continues to bedevil many offices, deterring investments and eroding public confidence in government. Ordinary citizens and foreign investors still complain about complicated procedures that encourage bribery. The country ranks low in international surveys on ease of doing business.

Aside from publishing the results of the CSC assessment, the government should develop a system of rewards and penalties to compel full compliance with RA 9485. Public feedback should also be facilitated, with hotlines for complaints prominently displayed in every government office.

There are honest, dedicated and competent state workers, but there are also those who have long benefited from collecting grease money to facilitate government transactions. Their activities can be stopped by implementing measures to cut red tape.