DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The City Government of Davao said it was reforming its service delivery system as the city implements the provisions under Republic Act (RA) 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018.
Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) Chief Erwin Alparaque said the government is on the process of actualizing a more efficient mode of transaction for the issuances of business permits, licenses, certifications and other important documents.
“We strive hard to re-engineer the systems coupled with the important aspect of giving discipline and strengthening interventions to further enhance our business competitiveness and good governance,” he said.
Among the initiatives includes establishing the Business One-Stop Shop or BOSS in the taxpayer’s lounge at the Sangguniang Panglungsod Hall “to springboard the processes of the business registration system and other public documentary requests “.
The government is also shifting to paperless transactions and online payment arrangements to truly fast-track its delivery of basic services.
Signed by the P resident last May 28, RA 11032 was an amendment of the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007 or Republic Act 9485 which guides government officials in their service to the public.
Relevant provisions of the new law include the simplification of business requirements and streamlining the procedures in the key sectors. It standardizes deadlines for transactions at three days for simple transactions, seven days for complex cases and a maximum of 20 days for highly technical requests. The law also strictly imposes a Zero-Contact Policy to avoid violations of the ARTA.
When asked about the office’s scheme in monitoring the implementation of RA 11032, Alparaque answered by citing the two-strike policy sanction against offenders of the said law which the HRMO would closely look after.
The first offense entails a suspension of six months while the second could result to dismissal from service, perpetual disqualification to any position in public office, an imprisonment of one to six years.
“We are appealing to the public if you have some issues or concerns against any of our employees in the city government to immediately provide us with the information so that we can undertake the immediate actions,” Alparaque added after saying that agencies are given only 72 hours to address complaints involving documentary transactions.
The city government is eyeing to fully implement this upgrading on the business registration system by August of this year. (davaotoday.com)
