JOEL P. MAPILES
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO —Pampanga Governor Lilia G. Pineda called on concerned local government units in the province to conform with the government specified guidelines on business permits and licensing system and fast track processing of applications, thus attract more investors in the area.
This developed during the two-day seminar on Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS) Reforms in 2010 jointly conducted by the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Provincial Investment and Promotion Office (PIPO).
With the municipal treasurers, licensing officers, and planning and development coordinators in the province in attendance, the seminar aimed to inform the participants on the salient provisions of the joint DTI-DILG memorandum circular # 1 which sets minimum performance standards for new and renewal of business registration.
Pineda explained that her administration aims to have a government that is efficient in every way and which she believes is key to attracting investments and achieving progress.
The governor also mentioned that another priority for information dissemination is the checklist of requirements in securing business permits and licenses, so that “applicants should come with complete documents that would aid in the fast track processing of their applications”.
“Kapag alam ng tao ang mga dapat dalhin at gawin, maiiwasan ang pagkainip at pagsusungit na dulot ng mahabang paghihintay at pabalik-balik na pakikipagtransakyon.”
The governor especially cited the City government of San Fernando for its efficiency in business permit and licensing system, making it worthy of emulation by other local governments.
She identified the things that should be prioritized by local government units: solid waste management, revised revenue tax code, an efficient one stop shop for processing of business permits and licenses, and an over all efficient and effective machinery covering all transactions in government.
She enjoined all municipal governments to establish and institutionalize these priorities as these will “lead us to getting more investments, generating more jobs and catching up alongside other countries in terms of progress”.
Lydia Rivera, chief, DTI Pampanga’s Business Development Division, also specifically mentioned the standards set by the City of San Fernando where an applicant who satisfies all the requirements can have his business permit/license within an hour of filing it.
“This is what all other provinces and towns should aim for and this is what has made the City become a world-class government in many ways,” Rivera emphasized.
She added that Pampanga is one of the most competitive provinces in the region in terms of investment generation. However, she declared that there is still a need for the province to come up with an enhanced investment and promotion plan that would “inspire confidence among potential investors” and thereby increase employment opportunities.
She encourages investing in the areas of information and communication technology, eco-tourism, and other non-pollutive investments.
Leonila T. Baluyut, provincial director of DTI Pampanga said that business-friendly communities generate more employment and livelihood which will surely result in increased revenues for the local government and an improved quality of life for the people.
Angie Blanco, local government officer of Pampanga, said that taxes are the lifeblood of the local government and that the local economy depends on the investments infused into the municipality. She encourages the DTI and the DILG to take a lead role in capability building that would lead to the full implementation of the key reforms in the BPLS.
“As we reduce the time of processing permits and licenses, people manning the frontlines of the offices should always be courteous and pleasant in dealing with the public,” Blanco advised.
She added that the one stop shop concept should be adopted by every municipality where all agencies involved in the issuance of permits and licenses are housed in one convenient and comfortable venue.
Provincial Board Member Crisostomo Garbo, for his part, voiced his support for a revised revenue or tax code.
“We have been left behind by Bulacan in terms of revenue collection”, adding that Bulacan has reached P2B in terms of income earned from permits and licenses while Pampanga’s biggest income was only up to P1.4B.
That is why we need to update our ordinances and resolutions relative to payments for permits and licenses and garbage disposal fees, Garbo emphasized. It is one of their priorities, he said, in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan discussions.
The governor called on everyone present in the seminar to take the discussions and agreements in the BPLS seriously as this could become our ticket to a “healthy, more progressive province and constituency”.
