THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said it will streamline government services that directly impact trade facilitation following the announced 19-percent reciprocal tariff on Philippine exports to the United States.
In a statement on Tuesday, ARTA said through its flagship Project NEHEMIA (National Effort for the Harmonization of Efficiency Measures of Inter-Related Agencies) that it will implement sector-based reforms to reduce processing time, cost, and requirements across priority industries such as logistics, energy, and mining.
ARTA said the recently negotiated 19-percent tariff rate puts the country on equal footing with regional peers like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, which also face 19 percent tariffs. With this, the agency said, the reforms would target bureaucratic bottlenecks and promote seamless inter-agency coordination in sectors which are critical to the country’s export competitiveness.
ARTA added it also serves as chief negotiator for the Transparency and Good Regulatory Practices (GRP) chapters of the Philippines–European Union Free Trade Agreement. Under this role, it is aligning domestic regulations with global standards, it said.
“These negotiations aim to foster fair competition, strengthen investor confidence, and ensure that Philippine regulatory frameworks promote—not impede—cross-border commerce,” ARTA added.
Specific to mining, ARTA said it worked with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau to simplify and digitize permitting processes, including those for exploration and Mineral Production Sharing Agreements.
The proposed electronic Mining One-Stop Shop (e-MOSS) will help improve how applications are managed in the mining sector, it added.
From 2025 to 2028, ARTA targets full digitization through the e-MOSS system for permits of mines operations including small mines; rehabilitation integration of a unified mapping tool and; the rollout of regulatory amendments that support mine closure and environmental restoration.
“These steps are important as the Philippines strengthens its role in the global supply chain for essential minerals,” ARTA said.
