The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Department of Social Welfare and the Development (DSWD) are working together to cut the process for the issuance of duty-exempt importation (DEI) certification for foreign donations to hasten the delivery of services to disaster-stricken areas.
ARTA said in a statement the new process will significantly reduce the documentary requirements to just three which will be assessed within 7 working days instead of the current 14. The application will be further shortened to three working days in a state of calamity.
The DEI certification is the requirement of the DWSD — Standards Bureau for non-government organizations to be able to provide aid and relief services to various sectors in the country.
Ernesto Perez, ARTA officer-in-charge urged the concerned agencies to work together in the crafting of a joint memorandum circular (JMC) that will harmonize the end-to-end processing of foreign donations.
“The JMC will make way for the establishment of a green lane which will facilitate the expedited processing of the DEI and release from the Bureau of Customs (BOC). This is to ensure donors will not have to go different government agencies anymore,” Perez said.
The drafting and finalization of the JMC will be spearheaded by ARTA in collaboration with the DSWD, BOC, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Finance, Department of Health, and Office of Civil Defense.
ARTA is set to conduct consultations with the aforementioned agencies and key stakeholders to thresh out the regulatory burdens in the processing and delivery of foreign donations. – Irma Isip
