ARTA commends Davao City LGU’s improved e-BOSS online biz portal

Officials of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) have commended the Davao City government for its improved automated online business registration portal – Business One-Stop Shop (e-BOSS), the system that the city government set up for ease of doing business with Dabawenyos.

Director-General of Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Secretary Jeremiah B. Belgica, in a media interview Wednesday at the Business Bureau office in Sangguniang Panlungsod Building, said that he saw the improvement of eBOSS from the 2019 assessment during the ARTA visit. He noted the inclusion of the Bureau of Fire Protection registration and the Barangay Clearance in the business portal.

“Natutuwa kami kasi this is the second time that I personally visited the Business One-Stop Shop upang makita ang compliance. Noong 2019 ay wala yung online at the time at may mga bagay tayong naitaas na concerns or suggestions na ibinigay which is yung incorporation ng Bureau of Fire Protection. So, kami natutuwa kasi hindi lang na-incorporate ang barangay at Bureau of Fire Protection, nai-automate pa natin (We are happy because this is the second time that I personally visited the Business One-Stop Shop. In 2019, it is not yet online and we have raised a concern/suggestion to incorporate the Bureau of Fire Protection. So, we are happy because they did not just incorporate the barangay and the Bureau of Fire Protection but also automate it),” Belgica said.

He added that the city’s eBOSS is worth emulating and should also be done by other local government units.

He said that it is part of their step forward to connect the eBOSS to the Central Business Portal Arta where agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth, and Pag-ibig can be accessed by those who will register their business.

“Kapag nakakabit na ang ating electronic business one stop shop didto ay pwede na silang mag-registro ng business sa Davao mula sa SEC, BIR hanggang local government unit at magagawa nila ng isang araw. That is the dream of our President (Rodrigo Duterte) din na sana ay makita ang realization dito sa Davao (Once the EBOSS is linked here, people can register their business from Davao to agencies such as SEC, BIR including the local government units all in one day. That is the dream of our President (Rodrigo Duterte) this could be realized here in Davao,” Belgica said.

Belgica felt assured that even if the administration changed, Davao will continue streamlining the Arta processes. He also cited the compliance of the city to the submission of the Citizen’s Charter, Creation of Committee on Anti-Red Tape which is according to him a move that should be emulated by other government units. He also acknowledged the city’s submission of the Zero Backlog Report and Initial Reengineering Report, as confirmed by Deputy Director-General for Operations- Undersecretary Ernesto Perez.

“Yes nakapag-comply na sa mga submissions. Ang gusto natin ay mas mapagtibay pa yung partnership ng Arta kung paano kami makatulong sa Davao city sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaroon ng Memorandum of Understanding para ma-train natin ang mga tao paano pati ang Sanggunian kung paano gumamit nung Regulatory Impact Assessment, para ma-incorporate ang Philippine Good Regulatory Principle (Yes, the city has complied with the submissions. What we want is to strengthen the partnership of Arta on how we could help Davao City through a Memorandum of Understanding to train people including the Sanggunian on how to use the Regulatory Impact Assessment and to incorporate the Philippine Good Regulatory Principle),” Belgica said, adding, these national Arta policies will be localized and Davao City will be the first LGU to do such initiative.

During his visit, Belgica also paid a courtesy call with Davao City Administrator Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez, Vice Mayor’s Office (VMO) Chief of Staff Atty. Francis Mark Layog, and Human Resource Management Office head, Lemuel Ortonio at the City Hall Conference Room.

Joining Belgica in his courtesy call and inspection at the Business Bureau were Arta Chief of Staff and Deputy Director-General for Administration, Finance, and Special Programs Undersecretary Carlos Quita, Deputy Director-General for Legal– Undersecretary Eduardo Bringas, Deputy Director-General for Operations- Undersecretary Ernesto Perez, and Director for Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation Office– Director Grace Fernandez.

Davao City Internal Audit Service Division Officer-in-Charge, Atty. Sarah Phoebe L. Paclibar told CIO that the city will continuously implement the RA 11032 otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business Law.

“Padayon lang gihapon ta sa pag-streamline sa atoang processes, and if not, we improve more on our ease of doing business na systems diri as well as mga processes sa tanang office sa City Government of Davao we will continue to improve it (We will continue to streamline our processes, and if not, we improve more on our ease of doing business systems here as well as the processes in all the City Government offices—we will improve it),” Paclibar said. CIO