The newly appointed director-general of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) vowed to continue the reforms that will ease doing business in key sectors – telecommunication, logistics and health – and deliver better services to Filipinos.
Ernesto Perez told the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday ARTA and other government agencies will hold three separate summits for these sectors this month and in December as part of the yearend review of the reforms.
The government’s Philippine Regulation Information System and Anti-Red Tape Management System help monitor the processes of the more than 10,000 agencies watched by ARTA.
According to Perez, a joint memorandum circular (JMC) with the departments of Information and Communication Technology, Interior and Local Government and Public Works and Highways has helped speed up processing and issuance of permits for the construction of towers and underground fiber optic cables which the telcos credit for improved internet connectivity.
Another JMC disallowed pass-through fees by local government units (LGUs) in the supply chain through the adoption of the Unified Logistics Pass.
On health, Perez said ARTA is working with the Food and Drug Administration to speed up processing of the importation of medicines, and in building laboratories not just for COVID vaccines but other vaccines.
Perez also reported agencies and LGUs have reached 93 percent compliance to the mandate to adopt the Citizen’s Charter which contains the requirements, fees and steps in their transactions.
According to Perez, ARTA has resolved to work with the Office of the Ombudsman following a “misunderstanding” over their mandate: ARTA for anti-red tape and the Ombudsman, anti-corruption. Irma Isip
