The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is encouraging all local government units (LGUs) in the Bicol region to open an electronic business one-stop shop (eBOSS), not just to comply with the law but mainly to boost their local economy.

ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez said Thursday such a move would attract more investors, thus helping the economy in the LGUs.

The ARTA team, led by Perez, was in Legazpi City for a town hall meeting to encourage all 70 barangay captains and officials to create and implement citizen’s charters as part of the requirements under Republic Act 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

“We encouraged other LGUs because napatunayan natin na yung mga LGUs na nag set up at nag operationalize ng eBOSS tumaas yung kanilang (we have proven that the LGUs that set up and operationalized eBOSS increased their) number of business registrations and revenue collections,” Perez said.

He said the ARTA team continuously visits different areas in the country to give commendations to compliant cities and municipalities and show other LGUs the impact of eBOSS.

“We commend LGU Legazpi City since they comply with the four essential functionalities of eBOSS. We validated them from the filing of the application to the submission of requirements, to the payment of fees and the printing of the business permit can be done online, from the comfort of the home and offices of the applicant. Dahil po sa nagawa ng Legazpi City, andito po tayo para i-award ang commendation (because of what Legazpi City has done, we are here to award the commendation),” Perez said.

He said ARTA aims for a 10-minute processing time for businessmen to acquire or renew their business permits.

During the awarding of a plaque of commendation at the city hall, Legazpi City Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal thanked the ARTA for the recognition.

“I would like to thank the ARTA for this commendation for the city government initiatives to improve efficiency in the delivery of the government service to the public by reducing bureaucratic red tape preventing graft and corruption and promoting ease of doing business,” Rosal said.

She said making Legazpi a business-friendly city is a manifestation that it could be done and replicated by other LGUs and even the barangays.

Perez noted that the conduct of Bagong Pilipinas town hall meetings was directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to inform the people at the grassroots level on what the government is doing.

“The Bagong Pilipinas envisioned by our President will make us proud as a people. Ang lahat po ay dapat mabigyan ng tamang serbisyo na ginagawa ng ating gobyerno (Everyone should be given the right government service). We also want to inform (the people) through this roadshow (about) the programs and initiatives of ARTA like the eBOSS,” he said. (PNA)