Following its success in streamlining processes in telecommunication, the Anti-Red Tape Aurhority (ARTA) is rolling out more initiatives that would further ease doing business in the country.
In his keynote at the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Convention, Secretary Ernesto Perez, ARTA director-general announced the agency will launch today the Phase 2 versions of the Philippine Business Regulation Information System (PBRIS) and the Anti-Red Tape Electronic Management Information System (ARTEMIS) which will enhance transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in regulatory procedures.
PBRIS serves as a central repository of all government regulations, ensuring transparency and accessibility.
Perez said this aligns with the National Policy on Regulatory Management System, emphasizing the importance of streamlining and simplifying regulations to reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses.
He said ARTEMIS streamlines the submission and management of Citizen’s Charters, providing real-time data-based mapping of all government services. This online platform allows agencies to submit and update their Charters while enabling the public to view, download, and comment on them.
“The combination of PBRIS and ARTEMIS are two crucial initiatives revolutionizing the way the Philippine government manages and facilitates public access to services, advancing our progress towards a more business-friendly and digitalized government,” Perez said.
Perez said with the extension of the validity of the joint memorandum circulars (JMCs) that streamline processes in telecoms through Executive Order 32 signed on July 4, the number of telco towers will grow higher. This would further improve connectivity in the country.
In the case of passive telecommunication towers, the JMCs simplified the permit requirements, reducing the number of permits from 13 to 8. Documentary requirements decreased from 86 to 35, and processing time was significantly reduced from 241 working days to just 16 working days.
Perez said for fiber poles and facilities, permit requirements were streamlined from 11 to 5. The number of documentary requirements decreased from 62 to 26, and processing time was dramatically reduced from 868 working days to only 74 working days.
These streamlined processes led to a remarkable increase in the number of approved telecom permits, surging from 9,363 a year before the JMCs to an impressive 36,264, a year after.
Perez said the country’s internet infrastructure has become more competitive because of these initiatives, citing the August Ookla Speedtest Global Index report which showed the median download speed in the Philippines has witnessed significant improvements on the basis of x IPS of local government units on the establishment of electronic business one stop shops. Irma Isip
