ARTA trains PCCI personnel as ARTA Champions
ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica (FILE PHOTO)CALOOCAN CITY, Oct. 22 (PIA) -- The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on Wednesday commenced the training of personnel from a.....»»
ARTA trains PCCI personnel as ARTA Champions
ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica (FILE PHOTO)CALOOCAN CITY, Oct. 22 (PIA) -- The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on Wednesday commenced the training of personnel from a.....»»
Some firms still violate ease of doing biz law despite Arta
The Anti-Red Tape Authority-Eastern Mindanao Region (Arta-EastMin) revealed that there are still several businesses in their jurisdiction that violate the implementation of the Ease-of-Doing-Business Law and other red tape concerns despite the agency’s comprehensive collaboration with other security and law enforcement......»»
ARTA, ECCP ink deal to improve ease of doing business
The Anti-Red Tape Authority has partnered with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines to work together in creating a more business-friendly environment......»»
ARTA targets 120 LGUs for full permit automation
The Anti-Red Tape Authority is helping 120 local government units to fully automate their business permits processing this year......»»
ARTA eyes additional P200 million for 2024
The Anti-Red Tape Authority is hoping for the approval of an additional P200 million in its budget for next year, saying this will be used to expand its operations to cover all regions in the country......»»
ARTA to cover 860 agencies in report card survey
The Anti-Red Tape Authority is set to cover 860 government agencies in the first phase of the implementation of the Report Card Survey 2.0, which measures the quality of service of government agencies......»»
A letter from ARTA
Malacañang, through Senior PCO Undersecretary Honey Rose V. Mercado, sent on Oct. 9, 2023 a follow-up letter to the Oct. 3, 2023 letter of Secretary Ernesto V. Perez, director general of the Anti-Red Tape Authority, clarifying certain points in my Oct. 3, 2023 column “Ten minutes for business permits mean government means business.”.....»»
CA junks telco’s frequency plea, mandamus case vs. NTC
The Court of Appeals junked the petition for mandamus filed by NOW Telecom Company Inc. against the National Telecommunications Commission or NTC over the company's provisional authority or PA application to operate a cellular mobile telephone service within specific frequency ranges. In a 16-page decision, the appellate court's Special Ninth Division said "the court is powerless" to grant NOW Telecom's plea, especially since the company failed to show a clear legal right to the frequencies it sought. The CA said the decision, penned by Associate Justice Tita Marilyn B. Payoyo-Villordon and concurred in by Associate Justices Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez and Walter S. Ong, followed a careful examination of the case. The case began from NOW Telecom's request for NTC's automatic approval issued by the Anti-Red Tape Authority or ARTA. NOW Telecom had filed a petition for mandamus under Rule 65 of the Revised Rules of Court to compel the NTC and former Commissioner Gamaliel Asis Cordoba to stick to ARTA's resolution and OAA both dated 1 March 2021. These ARTA documents stated that NOW Telecom's application for a PA to operate in the frequency range 1970 Mhz-1980 Mhz paired with 2160 Mhz to 2170 Mhz and 3.6 GHz to 3.8 GHz frequency ranges was automatically approved by operation of law. It followed Republic Act 11032, otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. However, an ARTA resolution dated 17 June 2022 reversed the previous decisions and formally recommended NOW Telecom's application for frequency assignment to the NTC. NOW Telecom's mandamus petition was notably based on its claim for the rights to specific frequency ranges, alleging that the NTC had unjustly neglected its duty to assign them. Yet, court records showed that as early as December 2005, NTC already found NOW Telecom to be non-compliant and was disqualified from the assignment of 3G frequency bands due to unpaid supervision and regulation fees or SRF and spectrum user fees or SUF amounting to P2.6 billion. NOW Telecom has a pending petition filed before the Supreme Court for this penalty imposed by the NTC. NOW Telecom received its PA in January 2006, but it was not specific to 3G and under the condition of paying its outstanding SRF and SUF obligations. In December 2017, NOW Telecom was designated the 20MHz contiguous bandwidth, 3520 to 3540 MHz, under the 3.5 GHz on the same condition that it resolved its outstanding SUF and SRF fines. NOW Telecom's Provisional Authority was extended until September 2020, but the NTC reiterated that the company failed to fulfill the conditions regarding SUF and SRF. Despite the issues hounding the company, NOW Corp. CEO Mel Velarde said he hopes the "Marcos administration" will aid the immediate settlement of its cases as a way of maintaining a "level playing field." _ The post CA junks telco’s frequency plea, mandamus case vs. NTC appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
LGUs urged to adopt eBOSS
The Anti-Red Tape Authority on Wednesday encouraged the local government units to comply with the Electronic Business One-Stop Shop or eBOSS to boost the ease of doing business in the Philippines. ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said that the eBOSS is a program developed by ARTA in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to provide LGUs with a digitalized and streamlined business processing and licensing system. "The eBOSS makes it easier and faster for businesses to register and obtain permits, which can help to attract more investors and create more jobs," Perez said in a public briefing. Perez added that ARTA is working with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure that all LGUs comply with the eBOSS requirement. "We are providing LGUs with the necessary support and guidance to help them implement the eBOSS. We are also working with the DILG to monitor the compliance of LGUs," Perez said. As of September 2023, only eight out of 17 LGUs in Metro Manila have been verified by ARTA as compliant with eBOSS. Among them are Quezon City, Valenzuela, Marikina, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Quezon City, all of which have seen an increase in revenue collection and business registration. Outside Metro Manila, Lapu-Lapu, Cagayan de Oro, and Batangas City have also complied. "We urge all LGUs to comply with the eBOSS requirement. This is not only a legal requirement, but it is also in the best interest of our businesses and our economy," Perez said. ARTA's Partnership with the Civil Service Commission ARTA has also partnered with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government services. Under the partnership, ARTA and CSC will work together to develop and implement training programs for government employees on anti-red tape and ease of doing business. The partnership is also expected to promote the use of technology to improve government service delivery, Perez said. In addition, he said both ARTA and CSC will monitor and evaluate the performance of government agencies in terms of anti-red tape and ease of doing business. "We believe that this partnership with CSC will be instrumental in our efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government services," Perez said. "A more efficient and effective government will benefit both businesses and citizens. It will make it easier for businesses to operate and create jobs, and it will make it easier for citizens to access government services," Perez added. The post LGUs urged to adopt eBOSS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ARTA rues reduced allocation
The Anti-Red Tape Authority said Monday it could do its job better if the House of Representatives would allocate it more funds in the coming year. ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said ARTA had submitted a budget request of roughly P780 million under its National Expenditure Program for 2024. “What was granted to us by the Department of Budget and Management was barely 35 percent,” he lamented. Perez said under the General Appropriations Act of 2023, ARTA received P219 million. ARTA was flagged by the Commission on Audit in its 2022 report for failing to investigate complaints in a timely manner to ensure the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services Program. CoA said it took ARTA an average of 124 days just to accomplish the first step of the complaint resolution process, which is the issuance of a notice to file a sworn answer. “We are concerned if this were to remain the practice of ARTA. It would erode its reputation and eventually defeat the purpose of ARTA as one of the institutions specifically tasked to thwart red tape and corruption,” the 2022 CoA report read. But Perez said they had already properly responded to the CoA report, and the problem was raised because of the deferment of the electronic complaint management system, or ARTA e-CMS, that the previous administration launched in 2022. “It was not able to be implemented because of budgetary constraints. So, we had to suspend that and go back to the manual way. The CoA took note of that. In fact, in our 2020 audit report, we had zero CoA findings,” he said. Perez said that ARTA’s complaint resolution rate was presently at 99 percent. The post ARTA rues reduced allocation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bautista’s CLA mandate ‘ultra vires’, says source
The order of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista for shipping lines to avoid charging container deposits from brokers and importers, and subscribe instead to the Container Ledger Account, or CLA, is “ultra vires” or imposing powers beyond his capacity to do so, a source in the logistics industry said. “The SoTr (secretary of transportation) cannot validly issue an order adopting the CLA “ultra vires.” The Office of the Secretary has only direct line supervision and control over the department’s regional offices. The DoTr proper shall be responsible for developing and implementing the department’s policies, plans, programs, and projects,” a source who sought anonymity told Daily Tribune. The source said Anti-Red Tape Authority chief, Atty. Ernesto V. Perez admitted the CLA did not undergo a Regulatory Impact Assessment by ARTA. “The CLA is not being imposed by way of regulation by a government agency. But if a stakeholder can show that (the regulation) is being imposed by a government agency-DoTr, then we can ask that it be subjected to an RIA. Otherwise, if it is only an option and the shipping lines are not required to use the CLA, then there is no regulation by DoTr to be subjected to RIA,” the source said. “The closest agency with authority over shipping lines (other than PPA) is Marina, and it does not have any regulatory power over shipping lines,” the source added. Moreover, the source revealed, quoting a report from PortCalls, 20 shipping lines are now subscribers of CLA, including COSCO Shipping Lines (Phils.) Inc., Sinotrans (Uni-ship), Hyundai Merchant Marine (Philippines) Co. Inc., and Kyowa Shipping Lines (Skybest Logistics). He said other shipping lines that are currently subscribed to the CLA include BLPL Singapore, CK Line, Concorde Container, Eagle Express Lines Inc. (RCL South Phils.), Federated Cargo Line, Lancer Container, Macro Ocean Philippines Inc., MBF Carpenters, New Zealand Line, Oceanus Container, OOCL Philippines Inc., Samudera Shipping, Sarjak Container Lines, Southern Star Agencia Maritima Inc. (Namsung Shipping), KMTC (Phils.) Corp., and RCL Feeders Phils. Inc. CLA subscribers AISL allies? Meanwhile, the source said most of the CLA subscribers have a close alliance with the Association of International Shipping Lines. “You can check all those shipping lines that signed up with CLA. If not most, all have only one ship agent, AISL President Patrick Ronas. Not all shipping lines are AISL members. With this DoTr directive, they require all shipping lines to adopt the AISL system,” the source added. CLA is an online system that aims to simplify and speed up container deposit refunds. “Only 19.86 percent of shipping lines are subscribed to CLA. They want the remaining 80 percent also to subscribe. That’s a regulatory capture,” the source said. AISL, the source said, had been pushing for the implementation of the CLA since 2021 to contradict the performance of the PPA Administrative Order No. 04-2021 or the Trusted Operator Program- Container Registry and Monitoring System. The TOP-CRMS, currently deferred for implementation by Philippine Ports Authority Board chaired by Transportation Secretary Bautista, is said to be the answer to the overcharging of container deposits by international shipping lines, which cost the logistics industry roughly P23 billion in 2022 alone. In his 12 July 2023 letter to Joseph Collantes, operations manager of RCL Feeder Pte. Ltd., and Jesus Sedano, owner’s representative of RCL Feeder Pte. Ltd., Bautista directed shipping line operators to discontinue the container deposit practice, as the issue of delays in refunds of container deposits and unreturned deposits in the millions of pesos continued to burden and create financial difficulties for many importers that have now become an industry problem. “Discontinue container deposit practice or continue to collect container deposits contingent upon the ability to refund within 14 days and subscribe to container deposit from CLA subscribers or other providers that offer equivalent services. The cooperation and commitment of all parties will address these perennial industry concerns and significantly reduce logistics costs in the Philippines,” Bautista’s letter read. The post Bautista’s CLA mandate ‘ultra vires’, says source appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoTr chief’s CLA endorsement questioned
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista could face graft charges for endorsing a foreign-owned container monitoring system without undergoing the usual bidding process or a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) from the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA). Industry insiders who asked not to be named noted the unusual decision by Bautista to endorse the Container Ledger Account (CLA) as an alternative to the controversial container deposit imposed by international shipping lines on importers and brokers for the use of their containers. The (DoTr order) violates Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. In essence, the DoTr endorses container deposits and favors a foreign private entity to collect them. The Transportation chief wrote a letter to all shipping lines about the order, contradicting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s instructions during a Cabinet meeting. In his 12 July letter to Joseph Collantes, operations manager of RCL Feeder Pte. Ltd., and Jesus Sedano, owner’s representative of RCL Feeder, Bautista said: “The delay in refund of container deposits and unreturned deposits in millions of pesos continue to burden and create financial difficulties for many importers that has become an industry problem. Various stakeholders have raised this matter for government intervention in the transport and logistics services sector.” The DoTr secretary added: “The Department of Transportation urges Shipping Lines/Shipping Agents/NVOCCs to accept the following alternative for container deposit practice in the Philippines.” He continued, “Discontinue container deposit practice or continue to collect container deposits contingent upon the ability to refund within 14 days, and subscribe to container deposits from Container Ledger Account subscribers or other providers that offer equivalent services.” But industry insiders questioned Bautista’s order saying the CLA still needs to undergo an RIA from the ARTA. “They are pushing for the CLA, but it did not undergo an RIA. Since 2021, it has been vended by the Association of International Shipping Lines. Then let us read between the lines,” the source told Daily Tribune. Further, the source revealed that during a Cabinet meeting, Bautista endorsed the CLA to President Marcos, apart from reporting that the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System or TOP-CRMS will be reviewed by ARTA. Still, the President aired contentions to the CLA. “The President said ‘baka ma-pingpong yan (CLA) [it might by bounced around].’” Bautista told the President, “No, because ARTA is currently reviewing it.” “Then why did the Secretary endorse it to international shipping lines without ARTA releasing the RIA?” the source asked. Only an option ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez was quick to admit the CLA had not undergone an RIA because it was not implemented by way of a regulation by a particular government agency. “No, it has not. To my knowledge, probably because it is not being imposed by way of a regulation by a government agency. But if a stakeholder can show that (the regulation) is being imposed by a government agency-DoTr, then we can ask that it be subjected to an RIA. Otherwise, if it is only an option and the shipping lines are not required to use CLA, then there is no regulation by DoTr to be subjected to an RIA,” Perez explained. ARTA is doing an RIA of all Administrative Orders issued by various government agencies to ensure that regulations are subjected to proper consultations and evidence-based analyses before issuance. The RIA is being done to help government agencies, local government units, and other government instrumentalities enact sound and effective regulations that benefit citizens and stakeholders without causing any undue burden or cost. ARTA on CLA Based on the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) of ARTA to CLA obtained by Daily Tribune, the source said the CLA is not workable, as it requires the voluntary participation by the CLA principals or subscribers. “Being voluntary, the CLA cannot ensure the issue of the delay in the refund of container deposits. Moreover, CLA also does not address the issue of deductions from the container deposit or amounts associated with alleged damage to containers,” the ARTA RIS on the CLA said. Further, the ARTA RIS stated that considering that the refund of the container deposit is dependent on the approval of the Shipping Line/Shipping Agent/NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier), it seems the same issue as the current system, described under Option 1-Status Quo or Do Nothing, remained. The post DoTr chief’s CLA endorsement questioned appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ARTA’s backtrack not in rules — PPA
Anti-Red Tape Authority Secretary Ernesto Perez’s re-evaluation of the Philippine Port Authority’s container monitoring and tracking system is not provided for under ARTA rules and is thus not valid. The ARTA retreat has no bearing as its Good Practice RIS (regulatory impact statements) rating of 36 on a scale of 40 in the program last February stays, according to PPA General Manager Jay Santiago. “ARTA has not retracted its positive rating of the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System or TOP-CRMS recalled its regulatory impact statement rating,” Santiago stressed. “I don’t know what the purpose of that ARTA memo or its value or its effect on the previously issued Good Practice RIS rating was,” Santiago said in a text message. According to the PPA chief, his office submitted all the required documents to ARTA, “sometimes twice,” and even consulted all the stakeholders in the shipping and logistics sectors, including those opposed to the scheme, before ARTA granted the Good Practice RIS. “The situation has not changed, so we do not understand what happened,” Santiago said. In a statement, ARTA defended its re-evaluation of the TOP-CRMS “upon the request of various stakeholders to be affected by the proposed regulation.” Perez said, “Our re-evaluation was diligent, and it stands as our final recommendation unless either party provides relevant additional documents,” adding that the re-evaluation was impartial and not influenced by external factors. While ARTA’s memorandum did not approve the TOP-CRMS program, it conceded the implementation remains within the mandate of the PPA. DoTr wants shift to CLA Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has directed shipping lines to stop collecting container deposits from brokers or reimburse the amount within two weeks. Bautista also ordered them to subscribe to a foreign firm’s Container Ledger Account or CLA. In a letter to Joseph Collantes, operations manager of RCL Feeder Pte. Ltd., and Jesus Sedano, owner’s representative of the firm, obtained by Daily Tribune, Bautista ordered the company to avail of other ways instead to collect container deposits. The alternatives include “discontinuing the container deposit practice or continuing to collect container deposits contingent upon the ability to refund it within 14 days and subscribe to container deposit from Container Ledger Account subscribers or other providers that offer equivalent services.” “The delays in refunding container deposits and unreturned deposits in the millions of pesos continue to burden and create financial difficulties for many importers that have become an industry problem. This matter has been raised by various stakeholders in the transport and logistics services sector for government intervention,” Bautista’s letter read. Earlier in July, Danny Sta. Maria, an independent broker for various imports, such as yarn and other raw materials for the clothing industry, said international shipping lines make it hard for them to collect their container deposits. “In my case, my deposits have been stagnant in their hands for four months. Each deposit for a 40-foot container is P15,000. I rented 50 containers, so the total cost is P750,000. Imagine the money sleeping with them? I could have used the money for my business,” Sta. Maria told reporters. He said that on following up on reimbursements, the shipping lines kept telling him his requests were still pending, unsigned by signatories, or the refund requests were too voluminous to transact. He said the money collected by the shipping lines lay dormant in banks while earning interest. “I pity those small importers and brokers that have been victimized by these shipping lines,” Sta. Maria said. Sta. Maria lambasted the shipping lines for holding onto their money which, he said, was illogical and unacceptable @tribunephl_raf. The post ARTA’s backtrack not in rules — PPA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Belgica, 4 others ordered dismissed
Despite separate rulings by the Justice Secretary and the Office of the President on the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s, or ARTA, directives pertaining to the assignment of frequency to NOW Telecom, an Omnibus Order and Minute Resolution was issued by the officers of the agency affirming its earlier resolution and Order of Automatic Approval which is illegal. With this, former Anti-Red Tape Authority director general Jeremiah Belgica and four other officials of the agency were ordered dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman after finding them guilty of grave misconduct. The termination order was contained in a 14-page decision prepared by a four-member special panel and approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires. It declared Belgica, his former deputy Eduardo Bringas, division chief Sheryl Pura-Sumangil, and directors Jedrek Ng and Melamy Salvadora-Asperin accountable. The ruling carries the accessory penalties of cancellation of civil service eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification to hold public office. If the accused were already separated from the service and the penalty could no longer be, the same shall be converted into a fine in the amount equivalent to the respondents’ salary for one year, payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, and may be deductible from their retirement benefits, accrued leave credits or any receivables by respondents from their office. The case against Belgica and company stemmed from a complaint filed by DITO Telecommunity Inc., which accused the respondents of giving preferential treatment to NOW Telecom. Sweetheart deal The alleged preferential treatment was evidenced by ARTA’s 1 March 2021 OAA assigning contingent frequencies to NOW Telecom, which came after the government awarded the same frequencies to DITO as the country’s new telco major player. The order cited the respondents’ “clear intent to violate the law” when they issued the assailed ARTA Resolution and OAA despite being aware beforehand of the status of NOW Telecom with the National Telecommunications Commission. As early as December 2005, NTC records showed Now Telecom was already found to be non-compliant and was disqualified from the assignment of 3G frequency bands due to unpaid supervision and regulation fees and spectrum user fees amounting to P2.6 billion. The telecom company in January 2006 was issued a provisional authority that was not specific to 3G and was premised on the condition on the payment of its outstanding SRF and SUF obligations. At that time, the issue on the outstanding SRF and SUF was already pending with the Supreme Court. In December 2017, NOW Telecom was assigned the 20MHz contiguous bandwidth, 3520 to 3540 MHz, under the 3.5 GHz on the same condition that it settle its outstanding SUF and SRF. NOW Telecom’s PA was extended for 36 months until September 2020 subject again to the condition regarding the SUF and SRF, but was never fulfilled by the company. The post Belgica, 4 others ordered dismissed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ARTA backpedals, nixes TOP-CRMS
The Anti-Red Tape Authority, or ARTA, made a surprising move in backtracking on an earlier approval of a port digitalization plan, apparently bowing to pressures from several powerful groups. ARTA’s about-face effectively shot down what could be the Marcos administration’s most potent anti-smuggling weapon. ARTA issued a memorandum last 25 July signed by ARTA director general, Secretary Ernesto Perez, in which it said its reevaluation of the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System or TOP-CRMS regulatory impact statement, or RIS, convinced it that reducing the cost of container deposits from the scheme was not accurate based on the benefit-cost analysis. Perez said the decision is “final” and denied bowing to outside pressures. “That’s our final recommendation unless either party will submit to us additional relevant documents,” Perez indicated. Part of the ARTA report reads: “Port congestion may not be used by PPA or Philippine Port Authority as a justification for government intervention,” with the proposed TOP-CRMS. It added that the PPA “cannot use congestion as a justification or basis to establish the proposed... TOP-CRMS.” The PPA which is the main beneficiary of the digitalization scheme indicated that it is studying its options. “We’ll study our options. As far as we are concerned, ARTA already issued a Good Practice RIS with a 36/40 rating for the TOP-CRMS program. I don’t think they have retracted that or recalled the rating which they previously issued,” PPA general manager Jay Santiago said. “So I don’t know what was the purpose of that ARTA memo nor its value or its effect on the previously issued Good Practice RIS rating. We submitted all required documents to ARTA sometimes twice even and they even consulted all stakeholders including oppositors before they issued the Good Practice RIS. The situation has not changed so we don’t understand what happened,” Santiago added. Complete reversal The latest ARTA memorandum is a complete turnaround from its 2 February evaluation which greenlighted the TOP-CRMS implementation and allowed the PPA to resume its suspended modernization plan. ARTA gave the program a rating of 36, meaning a “Good Practice RIS.” ARTA said in a February statement after it assessed the program, “PPA has provided concise and satisfactory evidence on all RIA sections. Hence, the RIS was assessed as Good Practice.” ARTA stressed there should be more regulations to address the current issue, which is also the leading cause of the problem. The PPA’s TOP-CRMS also meets ARTA’s criteria for cost-saving mechanisms, including the fee on container deposits and port access roads, and has reduced the dwell time of empty container returns to less than 72 hours. Under Section 6 of Presidential Decree 857, PPA must supervise, control, regulate, construct, maintain, operate, and provide facilities or services belonging to the Authority. Thus, under this mandate, TOP-CRMS will provide efficient port services to the public. Santiago said then, “With the approval by ARTA, I believe the concern on ease of doing business has been sufficiently addressed.” “PPA will continue to fine-tune the program, and the implementation of PPA AO No. 04-2021 and its IOG will be constantly monitored, and the necessary adjustments to the IOG will be made as necessary. TOP-CRMS seeks to remove the payment of container deposits and efficiently manage the return of empty containers. There have been a series of public consultations, and we have adjusted based on the need of the stakeholders,” Santiago added. Anti-smuggling initiative Ironically, ARTA reversed its TOP-CRMS recommendation a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned in his State of the Nation Address that the days of smugglers and hoarders of agricultural products are numbered as he identified the proposed Amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act as a priority legislation. The Chief Executive said in Filipino, “One of the reasons behind the higher prices is that smugglers and hoarders manipulate the prices of agricultural products. We will run after them, and we will file charges against them. We will not let these practices continue. The days of the smugglers and hoarders are numbered.” The President is also the secretary of agriculture. The PPA’s TOP-CRMS is a government-owned container monitoring system providing a whole-of-government approach to tracking container movement and management by giving relevant government agencies access to information and even automating and streamlining their processes. The anti-smuggling feature of the TOP-CRMS preempts cargo diversion or diverting shipments to another warehouse with real-time container tracking. Law enforcers could quickly identify where the shipments are located, which port stakeholders said would eliminate “for hire consignees,” as all foreign-owned shipping containers, both laden and empty, are monitored. Similar to the tracking system now in use among private port operators, the technology makes it easy for investigators to identify and prosecute suspected smugglers. Pressure from smugglers Industry insiders suspect that a powerful group of smugglers is pressuring concerned government agencies and regulators to stop the implementation of the TOP-CRMS because it would have a profound negative impact on their illegal activities. More importantly, the TOP-CRMS can detect illegal contraband and prevent entry into the country’s ports. It can eliminate smuggled drugs from entering any country’s entry points, including illegal arms shipments and, God forbid, nuclear materials. The data collected by the system can be shared with concerned agencies in charge of tax collection, law enforcement, import permit authorization, trade department, anti-smuggling units, intelligence units, etc. The wealth of data from the system will provide the PNP, AFP, BOC, BIR, DTI, DA, DSWD, Intelligence Community, and other relevant agencies an efficient tool to deter all forms of smuggling activities. The post ARTA backpedals, nixes TOP-CRMS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ARTA backtracks on PPA port digitalization plan
The Anti-Red Tape Authority, or ARTA, made a surprising move in backtracking on an earlier approval of a port digitalization plan, apparently bowing to pressure from several powerful groups. ARTA’s about-face effectively shot down what could be the Marcos administration's most potent anti-smuggling weapon. ARTA director general Secretary Ernesto Perez said the decision to reject TOP-CRMS is “final” and denied bowing to outside pressure. “We’ll study our options. As far as we are concerned, ARTA already issued a Good Practice RIS (regulatory impact statement) with a 36/40 rating for the TOP-CRMS program. I don’t think they have retracted that or recalled the rating which they previously issued,” Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Santiago said Santiago added: "We submitted all required documents to ARTA sometimes twice even and they even consulted all stakeholders including oppositors before they issued the Good Practice RIS. The situation has not changed, so we don’t understand what happened." The post ARTA backtracks on PPA port digitalization plan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MAP drafting MOU with government on ease of doing business
Business group Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is drafting a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as part of efforts to improve the ease of doing business, especially at the local government level......»»
ARTA urged: Sanction non-EODB law compliant agencies — PCCI
A high-ranking official of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sharpen the tooth of the Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Law, as more and more agencies continue to be bureaucratic about facilitating permits — the cause of delays in both local and foreign investments “In general, what we want to ask the President is that we’d like to haggle on the Ease of Doing Business. ARTA is doing very well but still, there are lots of agencies that are not on the ball when it comes to following the mandate of the law,” PCCI chairman emeritus Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr said during an interview with the Daily Tribune’s Straight Talk. Signed into law by then-President Rodrigo Duterte, RA 11032 aims to entice entrepreneurs to open up their businesses in the Philippines by expediting business and non-business transactions including the issuance of permits and licenses and holding government officials accountable for graft and corruption. Promotes ease of doing business During the anniversary of the Securities and Exchange Commission in June, Marcos told SEC officials to “use all your successes to further promote ease of doing business and to actively contribute to our overall goal of bringing a comfortable life to our people.” Meanwhile, Ortiz-Luis said in terms of realizing the objective of further improving the economy through export promotion and enticing foreign direct investments, Marcos Jr. should increase the budget of the Department of Trade and Industry. In an earlier interview, Ortiz Luis said the PCCI would like to see a P10-billion budget for DTI in 2024. Magna Carta for MSMEs “We would also like to see the passage of the Magna Carta for MSME. It’s already the third amendment but we cannot appreciate it because the funding still looks like a token for us. We are the most underbanked MSME in Asia,” he said. He said the Magna Carta for MSME is currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives “but we have not seen the needed push that we are looking for, as well as the right budget for it. We seek the President’s prioritization for it.” Notable features for the amendments of the Magna Carta for MSMEs being deliberated at the House of Representatives include limiting of the cost of permits and licenses to P500 per agency for registered microenterprises and P5,000 per agency for registered small enterprises; allocation of 20 percent of all their procurement opportunities for goods and services to eligible MSMEs; and the use of free spaces measuring at least one percent of the total space in government buildings and structures by authorized MSME stores free of charge, among others. Other requests of the PCCI leader to President Marcos Jr. include the passage of the Asin Law and the revitalization of the bamboo industry which he said the Philippines is rich in and could be of use in generating huge revenues for the country through exports. The post ARTA urged: Sanction non-EODB law compliant agencies — PCCI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Muntinlupa among ARTA awardees
Muntinlupa City’s innovative business registration, already recognized as an industry best practice, has received recognition anew from the Office of the President’s Anti-Red Tape Authority, or ARTA. Muntinlupa led seven other cities as the first recipients of the Accelerating Reforms for Improved Service Efficiency or ARISE Awards, which were given during ARTA’s fifth-anniversary celebration recently. “We are definitely proud of this recognition, as this is a validation of the city government’s commitment to bring quality public service to every Muntinlupeño,” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said. The city’s Business One-Stop Shop and its electronic equivalent, the eBOSS, place all business license or permit-issuing agencies under one roof. Earlier this year, ARTA feted Muntinlupa for its compliance monitoring as a benchmark for other local government units to follow. In addition to BOSS, the city also has the Business Permits and Licensing Office Single-Window Transaction, or PLO-SWiT, program in partnership with the Festival Mall in Alabang. Alternatively, business owners may also renew their license and Mayor’s permit at the BPLO in Muntinlupa City Hall, as well as online via the Business E-payment System, through the City’s official website (www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph.). The other ARISE awardees are the cities of Manila, Parañaque, Quezon City, Navotas, Marikina, Valenzuela and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu. The post Muntinlupa among ARTA awardees appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Muntinlupa City hailed by ARTA for business innovations
Muntinlupa City's innovative business registration process, already considered an industry best practice, has earned recognition from the Office of the President's Anti-Red Tape Authority for setting the standard among LGUs. Muntinlupa led seven other cities as the first recipients of the Accelerating Reforms for Improved Service Efficiency (ARISE) Awards, which were given during ARTA’s fifth anniversary celebration recently in recognition of initiatives to improve the delivery of government services. "We are definitely proud of this recognition, as this is validation of the City Government's commitment to bring quality public service to every Muntinlupeño," Mayor Ruffy Biazon said in response to the award. The city's Business One-Stop Shop and its electronic format eBOSS, which places all the necessary agencies for a business license or permit in one location, was commended earlier this year by ARTA in its latest compliance monitoring as a benchmark for other local government units to follow. In addition to BOSS, the city also has the Business Permits and Licensing Office Single-Window Transaction program in partnership with Festival Mall in Alabang in order to bring tax payment and registration services closer to business owners. Alternatively, business owners may also renew their license and Mayor’s permit at the BPLO in Muntinlupa City Hall, as well as online via the Business E-payment System, through the city's official website (www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph.). The seven other ARISE awardees are the cities of Manila, Parañaque, Quezon City, Navotas, Marikina, Valenzuela, and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu. The post Muntinlupa City hailed by ARTA for business innovations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»